Going for the Gold
by CominUpWithaPennameIsntMyForte
Summary: Olympic AU where Jane is on the U.S. Soccer Team and Maura is on the U.S. Gymnastics Team. Rizzles of course! 2012 Rizzles Fan Awards Round Two Nominee. COMPLETE.
1. Dreams Do Come True

**A/N:** Just a couple of things. One, this is my first fanfic; and two, a big thank you to **tplunker **and **Harrytoad** for the feedback and proofreading! :-)

**Disclaimer:** I own zilch. Just borrowing for some harmless fun. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: Dreams Do Come True**

Just a few weeks ago, nineteen year old Jane Rizzoli was the first string goalkeeper for the U-20 U.S. women's soccer team. However, after practice one day, her coach pulled her aside and told her some life-changing news: the second-string goalkeeper for the U.S. Olympic team suffered a knee injury and wouldn't be able to compete in this year's Olympics. Though devastating for Nicole Earhart, Jane was beside herself. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why are you telling me this, Coach?"

Before she got her reply, Jane hears someone with a Swedish accent behind her. "Well, I have seen you play Miss Rizzoli and you are incredible for someone your age. I simply thought that you would be a wonderful addition to my team."

Frozen to the spot and eyes widening to the size of quarters, Jane hesitantly looks. _No, it can't be, can it?_ When she finally turns around, she is dumbfounded. _It is! It's Pia freakin' Sondheim herself! She knows who I am _and _she's complementing me? Wait, she's talking to me? _

"Huh? Oh! Um, thanks!" _Smooth Rizzoli_. She chastises herself.

"So, how about it? Would you like to join our team and come with us to London?"

"Yes! Of course I would! It would be an honor Ma'am. I won't let you down." Jane excitedly replies with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Great. And please, it's Pia or Coach." She says with a smile on her face and extends her hand for Jane to shake, which she quickly does. _My, this girl's got a grip!_ "Alright, well, if you don't have any questions?" She pauses as she looks to Jane's coach, who shakes her head, and then back to Jane, another head shake. "Then I will have our manager call you later with the information you need about where to meet the rest of us for the flight."

"I look forward to it!" And with that, Pia departs, leaving Jane standing there with a childish grin on her face. "I can't believe that just happened!" She says as she turns to her coach.

"I'm proud of ya, kid." She replies, before bringing her into a jumping hug.

**xxxxxx**

Now in London with only a couple weeks until their first match, Jane is still pinching herself. Of course there were instances to realize that this wasn't a dream. After all Pia Sondheim did approach her offering a position on the Olympic team, which she immediately accepted of course. Then there was the lengthy flight to London as well as the bus ride to the Village where they drove on the wrong side of the road. _Or is it the correct side for them? Hell, for all I know they think we drive on the wrong side!_ Jane animatedly thought to herself.

But it wasn't until she was outside on their personal terrace overlooking the night sky of the city when it hit her. _Wow, I'm really here. _She thought calmly to herself, before…_Holy Shit! This is really happening! I've finally made the team I was dreaming of ever since I was a little girl. I'm living in the Olympic freakin' Village!_ The Italian girl thought excitedly to herself.

"Hey R.R., think fast!" Hope called out her own personal nickname as she threw a mini soccer ball at her.

And think fast she did. In one fell swoop Jane turned and grabbed the ball with her left hand with ease. "This is so amazing!" Jane said with a grin as she turned back round to look outside, tossing the soccer back and forth between her hands.

"Yup, sure is! Alright, so Abby wants everyone to come over to her and Shannon's room so we can have a quick team bonding session. So let's get our shit put away and then we'll head over, okay?"

"Got it. On one condition though? You stop calling me Rookie Rizzoli. I know I'm the youngest, but it's getting annoying." Jane said as she re-entered the room, shutting and locking the doors behind her.

"Yeah, I'll think about it, Rookie," she says with a playful smirk. "Now let's get to it."

Three hours later, Jane and Hope are back in their room and even though they're still on US time, they get ready for bed. However, Jane is still buzzing from this whole experience and is finding it hard to sleep, despite knowing that she has as early start in the morning. Getting up to get a chair, she quietly opens the doors to the terrace and sits out there with her iPod and book for a while.

Some time later, and starting to feel the beginnings of sleep tug at her, she stands up, stretches, and takes one last look of the city. _Ah, may the odds be ever in my favor! _She giggles to herself, before walking back inside and collapsing on her bed.

Despite the negative connotations associated with that phrase, Jane Rizzoli will come to find out that indeed they were.

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Thanks for reading! Please stay tuned for Chapter 2...


	2. A Beautiful Enigma

**A/N: **Thank you all for the reviews and alerts! It really means a lot to me and I'm glad you all are enjoying it! Here's the next installment!

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**Chapter 2: A Beautiful Enigma**

It's been a few days since Jane's arrival, and fortunately the brunette has adjusted to the time difference but has settled into an, albeit, demanding routine. Her mornings consist of hour-long training sessions with Hope and Paul, their goalkeeper coach. Then, only after a couple hours of downtime, she and Hope make their way over to the team training sessions in the afternoon, which have been lasting for roughly four hours.

Needless to say, Jane is really looking forward to her three days off before the first match. She thought about going out and touring London for a little bit, but decided against it since it'd more than likely entail a lot of walking. All she wanted to do was get off her feet and let her body rest.

When the time came, she called up her new buddy, Barry Frost. He was only a year younger than she was and, like Jane, this was his first Olympics too. They met in the Village Quad on the second night there for a US soccer get-together barbeque. Immediately they hit it off, exchanged numbers and agreed to call each other to hang out once they had an opening in their training schedules.

So Jane pulled out her phone and dialed Barry's number. "Hey Frost."

"Sup Rizzoli?"

"Oh, nuttin' much 'cept for finally getting a friggin' day off! Well three actually. Anyway, I'm calling to see if you were free today and wanted to go watch one of the other games."

"I am actually. Whaddaya have in mind, Vanilla?" He teased.

That got Jane chuckling a little bit before continuing. "I heard the gymnastics start today. I don't know if it's the men's or women's gymnastics, but I think either one would be fun to watch, don't you?"

After a moments pause Frost finally says, "Yeah sure, cuz who doesn't want to see guys in super short shorts with their junk almost hanging out?"

"Oh gross, come on Frost!"

"Nah, I sure hope it's the ladies though," He says with a little suave in his voice.

"Haha, yeah me too. Meet me in the lobby in, oh say, 20 minutes?"

"You got it Rizzoli. See ya there."

"Okay, bye." Jane says before hanging up and getting ready.

**xxxxxx**

After a short walk, Jane and Frost arrive at the gymnasium, flash their Olympic passes to the security guard, and are guided to seats in the front row of the bleachers. Sitting down, Frost takes a look around and sees that there is a large white square floor centered down in front of them, two uneven bars to the right, a beam behind the white floor, and an area that resembles the long jump but with an object in the middle of it to their left.

Seeing Frost eye the entire place, Jane states. "Well you're in luck Frost."

"Why's that?" He says distractedly, still taking in the scene in front of him.

"There are only four events, which means that the women are competing today."

"Really? Awesome!" Frost replies before finally relaxing into his chair.

Jane relaxes into her chair as well and keeps watching Frost's face as the gymnasts walk out. She immediately begins to laugh but has to bring her hand up to her mouth to stifle it. This doesn't go unnoticed as he hits her arm without turning to look at her, which just earns him an incredulous look and a soft smile.

"This really is going to be great to watch." Frost finally says after gawking at all the colorful leotard-clad women.

"Yup. Let's get our gym-nice-tics on!" Jane replies with an exaggerated southern drawl, which earns a chuckle from her buddy.

**xxxxxx**

First up was the floor routine. Jane and Frost enjoyed the first few performances done by the other teams, but they were both looking forward to rooting for their country's team. "Next up on the Floor, representing the USA team, is Maura Isles." Said the announcer.

At twenty-four years old, this is Maura's third Olympics and it shows. Even though she is sporting a long-sleeved shimmering blue leotard, athletic tape is visible across the back of her hand, indicating extra support needed for her wrists. Plainly visible is the athletic tape on both her ankles, stopping just below her calves. But what eyes can't see is that she needs a cortisone shot to relieve the pain in her back in order to make it through the grueling competitions. Her body may be screaming for her to stop, but her mind keeps telling her to 'suck it up' and keep going.

As the honey-blonde walks across the floor, she takes in the deafening sound of the crowd's applause, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath to push all the pain from her mind, and assumes her starting pose near the bottom left corner, closest to Jane. Having done this cleansing routine numerous times before, she is blissfully unaware that every movement of hers is under close scrutiny.

**xxxxxx**

_Wow, who is this beautiful creature?_ Jane dreamily thinks to herself as she watches a honey-blonde woman walk gracefully across the blue square, a mere 20 feet away from her. "Next up on the Floor, representing the USA team, is Maura Isles." Announces a man over the speakers. _Maura. What a lovely name._ Jane muses as she claps along with the crowd. The brunette takes in every inch of the woman as she makes her way across the floor. She sees the taped ankles, but that doesn't distract her eyes from slowly traveling upwards to the incredibly defined calves and continuing up to unbelievably toned thighs. As her eyes roam further north, the brunette almost lets out a moan when she sees how the gymnast's shimmering blue leotard hugs her perfectly, round butt. _Oh. My. God._ Jane visibly gulps.

Jane continues to ogle at Maura's backside until she could no longer see it, due to the gymnast's starting pose. But the sight more than makes up for it. Jane watches intensely as Maura stops just before the bottom left corner, faces her, kneels down on her left knee, extends her right leg and right arm to the side as she elongates her body backwards, placing her left hand on the mat and throws her head back, causing her well-endowed breasts to be more on display. These last movements from Maura make Jane's jaw drop in amazement._ Sweet Jesus! Can the bikini cut BE any higher? Holy shit! I can see her abs through the fabric! Oh how I wish I could run my tongue between the valley of her breasts before raking my teeth along the column of her neck._ _Oy! Get it together Rizzoli. She's not a piece of meat!_ Quickly closing her mouth, she shakes her head in an attempt to push these salacious thoughts from her mind.

Next thing the brunette hears are the electronic orchestral notes from E.S. Posthumus' Unstoppable filling the gymnasium. Already captured by the gymnast's exquisite body, the brunette becomes even more entranced as she begins to move across the floor. She can't keep her eyes off of her. The music combined with all the power and grace behind the flips and twists leave the Italian speechless.

At the beginning of Maura's routine, the brunette started in the reclined position in her seat. However, as it progressed, so did her posture. As if to try and get as close to this alluring woman as possible, she slowly leans forward until her elbows are on her knees providing the support needed for hands, which cup her cheeks as her head rests on them.

When the routine comes to an end, the spell does not. Jane applauds with fervor as she looks up at the JumboTron. There, taking up the entire screen, is Maura's stunning face. Upon seeing her, Jane's applause slows to the point where she can't will her hands to clap anymore. Fixed in place, she takes in the sight above her. Maura's shoulder-length hair is pulled back into the tight confines of a bun, using massive amounts of hairspray to keep any uncooperative strands in place. Acting as if she's seen an angel from above, Jane gets lost in gorgeous hazel eyes and is blinded by her dazzling smile. Despite the honey-blonde's soft features however, the brunette senses something's off; that her smile is a façade. Looking more closely, Jane sees it. Pain. Ripping her eyes away from the JumboTron and landing on the physical person, Jane's mind begins to wander as she watches Maura walk back to her team's area. _But what kind of pain? Physical? Emotional? Both? It certainly takes a different kind of mindset and a certain type of person to make it to the Olympics. Wait, why am I so interested in finding out about this woman? What's going on?_

Now blatantly starring at the seated gymnast, she didn't have time to try and answer this last question of hers before feeling something poking her side. "Jane? You okay?" Frost asks as he nudges her with his elbow.

"Huh? Oh yeah, totally. So whaddaya think of her? Uh, I mean of her performance?" Jane quickly corrects herself, though not before her face starts to flush red.

"I thought it was great. Really loved the music."

"Haha! I'm beginning to think that's all you really care about in these routines!" Jane jokes.

"Eh, the costumes don't hurt either!" Frost counters with a toothy grin and a wink.

Shoving him slightly, Jane returns his smile as she thinks the same. _No, they most certainly don't_.


	3. Meet Cute

**A/N:** In honor of the Opening Ceremony, here's the next chapter!

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**Chapter 3: Meet-Cute**

"Oh! It is _disgusting_ in here!" Hope shouts as she bounds into the room. However, this falls on deaf ears as her roommate has her earbuds in while reading a book.

Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Jane turns and sees her roommate's arms up in the air. "Huh? You say something?" Jane inquires as she pulls out her earbuds.

"Yeah, I did. It's disgusting in here! Your pile of clothes is getting out of control!" Hope observes as she points to the corner of the wall near Jane's bed. "I am genuinely terrified that it'll smother me in my sleep!"

Jane has a good chuckle at her roommate's last statement before putting her hands up in the air, surrendering. "Okay okay! I'll take care of it. Since it's only," she turns to look at the clock on the side table, "eight o'clock. I'll go take care of it now and still have time to get my beauty sleep before the game. Happy?" She says as she hops off the bed and makes her way to the pile of clothes.

"Very." Hope replies curtly, before flopping on her bed, flashing Jane a smile to let her know they were good.

After shoving all her clothes into not one, not two, but _three_ plastic laundry bags, Jane makes her way down to the laundry room.

**xxxxxx**

Before reaching the doorway to the laundry room, Jane hears the loud, annoying buzzing sound of a washer go off. _Ah, crap! I really don't want to make small talk with some stranger..._Unless, of course, that stranger is someone she's been thinking about the past couple of days.

Rounding the corner, Jane's Nike LunarGlide 4 running sneakers come to a squeaking halt, as she is not prepared for the vision in front of her. Clad only in an off-the-shoulder charcoal gray sweater that exposes her black bra straps and black leggings that stop mid-calf, the gymnast is bending over at the waist, reaching into the washer to pull out her wet clothes.

The squeaking sound startles the older woman and causes her to straighten up quickly. Turning to the source of the sound, she sees a tall lanky brunette girl standing slack-jawed just inside the doorway. Glancing down by the brunette's feet, she sees that the clothes of one of her laundry bags have fallen onto the floor.

Following the honey-blonde's gaze to her feet, Jane's eyes widen in shock as she groans. _Ugh, can it get any worse? _

"Just perfect!" Jane mutters to herself before bending down to pick up the clothes that fell out.

"Here, let me help." Maura offers as she makes her way to the brunette.

Looking up, Jane sees the gymnast approaching. Baffled by the honey-blonde's beauty in such close proximity, when Jane leans down to pick up her clothes, she doesn't realize that some underwear and bras from her other bag falls out onto the small pile before her. _Oh my God! This isn't happening!_ Jane frantically thinks as she scrambles to pick up her undergarments.

Watching the frantic state of the brunette, Maura can't help but smile at how cute she looks. With her help, they get the loose clothes back in the bag in no time.

"Oh, you play soccer for the U.S.?" She asks standing up as she looks down at the training shirt she's holding.

"Uh, yup. Goalkeeper." Jane replies, still looking down at the ground with her hand extended to receive the shirt, afraid to make eye contact with the honey-blonde after embarrassing herself.

"Did you know that soccer was the first team sport added to the Olympic games, making its debut in the 1900 games?" Maura continues while handing the shirt to the brunette.

Taking the shirt and looking up into hazel eyes, Jane stands there flabbergasted. "Huh, nope. I did not. But that's pretty cool. Got any more fun facts?"

"The Olympic motto 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' is Latin for 'Faster, Higher, Braver,' but is universally accepted to mean 'Swifter, Higher, Stronger'." Maura replies without missing a beat. _Gosh, s__he has the most__ gorgeous brown eyes I've ever seen!_

"Wow! Who are you? How do you know all that?" Jane asks intrigued by this woman's vast knowledge, knowing full well who she is.

"Oh! How rude of me. I'm Maura." She extends her hand for Jane to shake, which she does. _Wow, her grip is so strong and yet her skin is so soft._

"I know. Uh, I mean, hi, I'm Jane." The brunette says quickly, not missing the way the gymnast's eye brows crease in slight confusion.

"I saw you compete a couple days ago. You were really good." Jane says with a slight smile and still holding her hand. _  
_

"Why thank you." Maura responds with a matching smile. "Um, Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"May I have my hand back?"

Looking down at their hands, Jane sees that she's still holding hers. "Oh! Yes of course." She says with a nervous chuckle as she releases the other woman's hand.

As the brunette makes her way to an open washer, the honey-blonde heads to hers and transfers her clothes to a dryer. After turning on the dryer, Maura quietly hops on top of it and takes a moment to admire the brunette. Despite being a chilly night, she is sporting short running shorts that famously display her long, tanned legs and her bubble butt. "Oh nice." Maura sighs a little too loudly, causing the brunette to turn around.

"What's nice?" she says after throwing the last of her clothes into the washer.

"Oh, uh, your…shoes! Your shoes look very stylish." She states more calmly than she started.

Jumping on top of a washer directly across from the dryer Maura's sitting on, Jane quickly glances at her shoes before continuing. "Thanks. Funny story about these: in order to look 'put together' as a team off the field, we invested in team shoes. However, I was a latecomer and wasn't able to give the manager my size before they ordered. Long story short, because of the women's brand they ordered, they did not have my size so I was stuck ordering from the men's brand. As a result of my ginormous feet, mine are black while the rest of the team's are dark blue."

Falling into a trance from the Italian's deep, raspy voice the gymnast did not realize that her story had come to an end and is now blatantly staring at her. "Oh, they don't look that big. I mean, because of how tall you are. They look perfectly proportioned to me." She finishes with a smile, hoping she didn't scare the younger woman. She didn't though as the brunette smiles back. _That voice is incredible. I want to keep her talking_. "So do you go to BCU?" She asks as she looks at the hoodie Jane's wearing.

"Yup, I just finished my freshman year there. Majoring in criminal justice and looking to be a cop, well detective, some day once my soccer career is over. I'm lucky though, I don't think I'd be there if it weren't for my full-ride. What about you?"

"Believe it or not, that's my alma mater. I majored in biology and aspired to be a forensic pathologist." She states.

Picking up on the tense the honey-blonde used, Jane inquires, "Aspired to be?"

"My, you are on your way to becoming a detective." She says with a soft smile. "Yes, I had to put any further education on hold due to my gymnastics. There is some…unfinished business I have to complete with the Olympics and I want to do that before applying and committing myself to medical school." She finishes sadly, hoping Jane doesn't inquire further.

Noticing the hesitation in her response, Jane knows that she should not pry any further and changes the subject. "So I take it this isn't your first rodeo?"

Maura looks at her with a confused look on her face. "Rodeo?"

"Yeah, you know…" She trails off waiting for the light bulb to turn on, but it never does. "This isn't your first Olympics is it then?" She continues.

"Ah, no. This is my third and last. Sometimes I feel that even though my chronological age is twenty-four, my biological age is going on forty. Heh, I have to take cortisone shots before every competition just to manage the pain in my back." She says dejectedly, looking down at her hands, trying to will the tears away that threaten to fall from the mere memory of how agonizing the pain can be. After a moment of silence, she looks up at Jane, "Why is it so much easier to tell a stranger the most intimate details of your life?"

"Because a stranger doesn't judge." Jane promptly responds with a soft smile.

**xxxxxx**

It has been four hours since the two women started talking, but neither wants to be the one to say goodbye. Reluctantly, Jane checks her phone to see what time it is…"Shit! It's midnight already? My roommate is gonna kill me!" She shouts as she jumps off the washer. Looking at her phone, she notices that Hope sent her three text messages wondering where the hell she was and threatening to send out a search party if she wasn't in the room in thirty minutes. That was twenty minutes earlier, so she now had ten minutes to get her ass in gear and head to the room. Fortunately, the brunette's clothes have been dried and folded at this point, which makes getting her shit together in a hurry very easy.

Maura jumped slightly at Jane's sudden outburst and was also surprised at how much time had elapsed. They had talked about anything and everything; something that Maura had never experienced before with another person. And she loved every minute of it.

After piling her clothes in one massive stack, she turns to Maura, "Hey, as much as I would like to continue conversatin' with you, I must go or else I am a dead woman." She says with a soft chuckle as she tucks the stack under her right arm with her left hand. "I had a great time talking with you tonight." She adds while flashing Maura the trademark Rizzoli grin.

"I did too. I don't think I've ever had such a conversation with someone before." She replies with a wide smile of her own as she slides off the dryer.

Both continue to smile goofily at each other. _God, I really want to see her again. Sooner rather than later. Hmm, perhaps she has a game coming up and I can see her exquisite body in action_. _Let's see…_ "Seeing as you saw me compete, I only think it's fair that I see you play. Do you have a game coming up?"

"Why yes we do, I'm playing tomorrow. Well, technically, I probably won't see the field unless our first-string gets red carded or injured or, in the highly unlikely event, we are whipping the other team." Jane rambles before clearing her throat. "I think it'll be an exciting game if you wanted to come watch. Ve ar playing ze French at twelve in ze aftanoon." She says in a terrible French accent.

"Haha, je voudrais que!" Maura responds with a delicate French accent, not missing how Jane's jaw drops slightly. "It means 'I would like that'. I will see you tomorrow, Jane. And good luck." She says before leaving the brunette frozen in her spot.

"Wait!" The brunette calls out for Maura. Luckily, the honey-blonde hadn't gone too far and turned right back around. "Come here." Jane beckons Maura with her left index finger. When the older woman is in range, Jane holds her hand out, silently asking to see her cellphone. "I know I just met you, and this may seem crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?" The brunette asks hopefully as she enters in her cell number before looking back up into wonderful hazel eyes.

With the brunette's deep, chocolate eyes gazing back at her, she is at her mercy. Breaking away from the eye-lock, she takes her phone back and another smile spreads across her face. "Of course. Perhaps we could try and do something after your game. Au revoir, Jane." Maura says as she leaves for real this time.

"Fuck. Just when I thought she couldn't be more amazing she goes and speaks French! Boy am I in trouble." The brunette declares aloud to herself as she too makes her way out of the empty laundry room. Little did she know, Maura was in earshot and heard every word.

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**A/N: **Thank you all for your alerts, favorites, and reviews! Those emails are like little cyber hugs that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :-)

Also, brownie points to those who know what song I referenced (sorry, I couldn't resist) and what the title of this chapter means...TTFN! :)


	4. Postural Hypotension

**Chapter 4: Postural Hypotension**

It's around nine fifteen in the morning after Jane and Maura's first conversation. Up to this point, the gymnast has already completed her early morning run, showered, eaten a hearty breakfast, and gotten dressed in casual but sexy clothes. Now all she needs to do is call up her long-time friend to utilize the buddy system.

It isn't until the second to last ring she hears, "Bugga, bugga, bugga, fuck, fuck, FUCK! Hello?!" A breathless voice answers on the other end with an Oxford British accent.

"Addison? It's Maura. Did I catch you at a bad time?" She asks, slightly embarrassed she might have interrupted something. _Don't be ridiculous; she wouldn't answer her phone if she were in the middle of a mind-blowing orgasm._

"Maura darling! Sorry, I was just finishing up my run on the treadmill and couldn't get the damn thing to stop before I answered your call. I'm okay now though. What are you calling about?"

"I'm glad you're okay. Well, I know this is a little last minute, but I was wondering if you would be available to accompany me to a soccer game this afternoon?" She inquires, making sure she uses the word 'soccer' and not 'football' to get a rise out of her friend.

"Cheeky! How many times do I have to tell you it's bloody football! Damn Americans!" She replies dramatically, causing Maura to giggle at how touchy she can be over the ways, she claims, 'Americans have butchered the language'.

Ignoring her laughter, the redhead goes through today's schedule in her head before telling her she can go. "Give me an hour and a half to shower, get ready, and have some grub. I'll meet you outside the Village, all right?"

"Sounds wonderful. One more thing? Try not to upset the showerhead; wouldn't want you to go breaking that pretty neck of yours." Maura teases, knowing how frustrated her friend gets with inanimate objects. Normally, the honey-blonde is not one to tease, but Addison seems to bring it out in her and, fortunately, only taunts her.

"Sod off!" Addison shouts before hanging up, knowing full well she'd been had.

**xxxxxx**

By the time they arrive and take their seats, a couple rows behind midfield across from the U.S. bench, there are approximately thirty-five minutes till scheduled kickoff. Remembering what Jane told her the night before about the possibility of her not playing, Maura wanted to get there early enough to see her warm-up.

"So who are you watching?" Addison asks.

"The U.S." Maura replies scoping out the field.

"Maura, you know that's not what I meant. You hate football. So, _who_ are you watching?"

After giving her friend a squinting glare, Maura turns her attention back to the field looking for the object of interest. "Her; the goalkeeper in the number 19 jersey. Her name's Jane, uh, oh gosh, you know what? I don't know what her last name is." Maura states, some disappointment coats her voice.

Following her friend's finger, she spots the tall woman, "Wow, nice job Yankee!" Addison teases, nudging her best friend with the side of her arm.

During the next twenty minutes, Maura fixates on the goalkeeper. Partly because, even though she is wearing a long-sleeved India green jersey with matching shorts and socks, it manages to complement her olive-tone skin extremely well; giving her a glowing look. Another reason the gymnast can't keep her eyes off of her is how her jersey hugs her arms and accentuates her biceps and triceps. _She looks like she's about to split her jersey at the seams!_ Last, but not certainly not least, her attention is captivated because of how gazelle-like the young woman is as she effortlessly jumps into the air or quickly dives onto the ground before springing back up again. _Her reflexes are lightening fast!_ At some point during the warm-up exercises, the honey-blonde gets a look at her back and sees 'Rizzoli' in a Comic Sans-like font across the top. _Huh, Italian. I do like Italian._ She smiles at the thought.

As Jane makes her way out of the stadium to the locker-room for the pre-game pep talk, she takes off her gloves, puts them together palm-to-palm, and tucks them into the back of her shorts, under her shirt. _O that I were the glove within those shorts; that I might touch that curve of her lower-back _the honey-blonde dreamily muses to herself. To say Maura is disappointed when the team leaves the field would be an understatement.

**xxxxxx**

Jane was right. The game was exciting. France scored twice within the first fifteen minutes. However, that would be the only goals they would score for the rest of the match since the U.S. made a great comeback and won four to two.

On their way out of the stadium, Maura sends a quick text to Jane: **Hi, it's Maura. Are you interested in grabbing something to eat once we get back to the Village?**

Ten minutes later she gets a reply: **Sounds gr8t. I'll txt u when I'm ready 2 go :)**

**xxxxxx**

It is now four thirty in the afternoon, and Jane has finally showered and is dressed in black jeans and a red v-neck shirt with a white wife beater underneath. Pulling out her phone, she texts Maura: **Ready now. C U in the lobby!** With that, Jane slips into her worn out, lucky white Adidas Superstar 2.0 shoes, grabs her leather jacket, and heads out.

Since Jane's room is on the sixth floor of the fourteen story building, she arrives in the lobby in no time and finds an open chair that overlooks the elevators and stairs. Sitting there she can't help but nervously bounce her legs and pick her nails. _Why am I nervous? I don't get this way before a game. Yeah, but this isn't a game. You like this woman and you're scared she doesn't like you back._

Lost in her thoughts, the brunette doesn't realize that Maura has exited the elevator, and is now standing right in front of her, towering over her. "Hello Jane." The honey-blonde says in a low, seductive voice while flashing her a dazzling smile. After overhearing the brunette's confession last night, Maura can't help but flirt with her.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the older woman, Jane is more on edge than before and almost knocks the gymnast over as she shoots up from her seat. "Uh oh" are the only words she can utter before she has to sit right back down.

Grabbing Jane by her elbow, Maura helps the brunette back into her chair. "What's wrong? You okay?"_  
_

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a case of tall-person syndrome." Jane remarks calmly with a smirk. "Just give me a couple of seconds and I'll be good as new." She adds with a smile, letting the older woman know she was okay.

Standing up more slowly this time, she is ready to go. "Yeesh. Sorry you had to see that. Sometimes when I stand up too fast I get a little light-headed, but once I sit back down or bend over it all goes away.

Maura is bewildered by Jane's nonchalant attitude towards what just happened. "You're sure you're all right? From what I just saw you could be showing signs of postural hypotension; a drop in blood pressure due to a change in body position, or posture, when a person moves to a more vertical position. In your case, you experienced it when you went from sitting to standing."

"Thank you, Doctor." Jane teases. "But since these aren't frequent episodes, my Doctor's told me that there is nothing to be concerned about. So, where are we going to eat?"

"I thought we could walk over to 'Jamie's Italian'." Maura suggests. "I noticed your last name on your jersey and thought that'd be a safe place to go."

"Sounds great. Shall we?" Jane asks as she gestures towards the doors with her left hand.

Taking the silent cue, the gymnast saunters past Jane; this movement is not lost on the brunette as she intently watches the smaller woman walk out, herself closely following suit.


	5. Bearskin Shenanigans

**Chapter 5: Bearskin Shenanigans**

"Good evening ladies. Name?" The hostess asks.

"Maura Isles."

Grabbing a couple of menus, the hostess turns and says, "Please. Right this way." After seating the two women at a booth and handing them their menus, she says to Maura, "Chef Oliver will be out shortly to say hello."

It doesn't take long for Jane to make the connection. "Oliver? As in Jamie Oliver from 'Food Network'? Wow, my ma loves that guy! She's a big supporter of school lunch reform."

As if he sensed his ears were burning, Chef Oliver arrives at their table. "Well I'm glad to hear someone is as passionate as me about getting rid of junk food in schools. I'm Jamie." He says in a Mockney British accent to Jane, shaking her hand.

"Hi, I'm Jane. Yes, if you ever need another spokesperson I'm sure my mother wouldn't hesitate to help." She replies, smiling.

"Splendid." He replies before turning to Maura and greeting her with a kiss to both cheeks. "Hello dear. How are you? How's the family?"

"I'm fine. Just enjoying what little time I have off between my competitions. And my mother and father are doing well. Thank you for asking." She says with a polite smile.

"Lovely to hear. Their generous donation helped us tremendously with our one million pound goal. Well I must be going; those orders aren't going to cook themselves. Tell your mother and father I said hello and I can't wait to work with you after the Olympics. Nice to meet you Jane." He finishes before making his way make back to the kitchen.

"He seems nice." Jane observes. "What kind of work are you going to do for him?"

"He is. When I go back to Boston, I will help teach some cooking classes for teenagers and young adults. Part of educating the younger generation to eat healthier." She explains shyly.

"That's great Maura! I must admit, I've had my share of takeout…perhaps I could sign up for one of your classes." She proposes, smiling.

"You may even consider signing up for my one-on-one class." She flirts, holding Jane's gaze.

They continue staring at each other until their waiter interrupts them. "Good evening ladies. My name's Colin and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you ladies off with anything to drink?"

"Water." Both women reply at the same time.

"Very well. I will be back in a few minutes to take your order."

When their waiter returns after a short while with their waters in hand, the athletes are ready to place their orders.

"I'll take the Tagliatelle Bolognese." Jane requests and hands her menu to the waiter.

"And for you miss?" He asks Maura, who is distracted by how flawlessly Jane's Italian rolled off her tongue.

"Uh, I will have the Bream Acqua Pazza." She replies absentmindedly, handing the waiter her menu.

"Very good miss." He says before leaving.

After the waiter leaves, the athletes sit in silence just looking at each other. "So…" They both start at the same time, chuckling. "You go ahead." Maura suggests.

"I was just gonna say that I totally forgot to ask you how your competition went. My friend and I had to leave early. Did you medal?"

"No, it was just a qualifying match. Our team will compete in the team competition and I managed to qualify for all the individual events as well as the all-around, knocking out the public favorite." She informs sadly. She's grateful to be competing in the all-around, but not at the expense of shattering someone else's dreams.

"That's awesome, Maura! I'm sure you'll win the gold." The brunette encourages, flashing her another smile.

"Thank you, Jane." She replies returning her smile. "Enough about me though. I've been curious about one thing since your game. Why the number 19?"

"Well, it's a combination of two things. One, the goalkeeper's usual number, one; and two, Mia Hamm's number, nine. Since I didn't want to be like every goalkeeper out there and since Mia Hamm is one of my idols, I chose to combine the two."

"Very clever and interesting. I like it!" The honey-blonde responds enthusiastically.

**xxxxxx**

Once again, the ladies loose track of time. It takes the hostess coming over to ask them to leave, if they're no longer eating, to decide it is time to go. It's now seven thirty-five and the athletes have talked and eaten for roughly two and a half hours. After the hostess leaves, Maura fights Jane for the check. It takes a few seconds before Jane stubbornly relinquishes control of the check folder, but only on the condition that she gets to buy dessert.

As the women head out, their waiter thanks them for their donation. This catches the brunette off guard but waits until they're outside to find out what he meant. "What donation was the waiter talking about?" She inquires as she shyly tucks her hands into her jean pockets, kicking at the invisible pebbles on the ground.

Sighing a little bit, Maura stops walking and turns to the brunette. The honey-blonde knows she can tell Jane the truth about her wealth in a round about way, but she doesn't want to do that to her, especially when the taller woman is looking so endearing right now. Taking a deep breath the honey-blonde begins, "Even though my parents donate thousands to the 'Jamie Oliver Foundation' and to other charities, I still like to help out where I can. So I ordered a meal in which one pound was donated. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent, but when he came over and mentioned my parents' donation, I couldn't help but order that particular dish."

"Ah, I see. Well at least you're not just throwing money at a problem, you know? You're also investing and volunteering your personal time to help his cause with your cooking class. That's admirable, Maur." The brunette offers.

Maura can't help but smile widely at Jane's kind words and her nickname. _It's simple and certainly much better than 'Maura the bore-a'_.

"So, where are we headed now?" Jane asks, pulling Maura out of her reverie.

_Hmm, since this is her first time here, where can I take her? Oh! I know..._ "We can go to Harrods." Maura suggests.

"What's that?" The younger woman inquires, her brow furrowing in wonderment.

"It's a 4.5 acre, seven floor, department store. One of the biggest tourist attractions in London." The older woman states matter-of-factly.

_Ugh, shopping. But it's shopping in London so it can't be too bad, right?_ "Sounds fun. Can we walk there?" Maura nods. "All right, lead the way, Tour Guide." The brunette teases with a wink.

**xxxxxx**

As they round the corner, Jane can't help the little gasp that escapes her mouth. Every window and every corner of the building is lined with white lights, making it one of the most majestic sights she's ever seen.

The younger woman's gasp doesn't go unnoticed by Maura. "Wait until you see the inside." She hints.

Maura isn't kidding. The inside is just as amazing, if not more, than the outside. What's making her love it are the sporadic Egyptian decorations throughout the building. Ever since she saw the film, _The Mummy_, she fell in love with anything that's ancient Egyptian.

Knowing this is Jane's first time in London, Maura theorizes she'll probably be interested in checking out a souvenir store first. Therefore, 'Harrods Gift Shop' is their first stop. Upon entry, Jane immediately makes a beeline to the middle of the store when she spots the hats the guards wear outside Buckingham Palace. Grabbing one off the rack and putting it on, she begins making funny poses and faces to Maura. Not wanting to miss this moment, the honey-blonde pulls out her phone and starts taking pictures of the brunette's silliness.

After a minute or so, the younger woman has had enough of Maura taking pictures. "Come on Maur! It's your turn!" The brunette says excitedly as she hands her a hat from the rack.

As the honey-blonde grabs the hat, she glances over and sees some of the other customers giving her glaring looks. "No! Jane! I can't!" She whispers, pushing the hat away.

"Of course you can! Come on! Just let go and have some fun!" At this point, Jane has taken control of the hat and secures it onto the smaller woman's head.

Right now, the gymnast is standing in front of Jane with her arms crossed wearing a pout and a bearskin hat that's a little too big on her. Taking her own phone out of her pocket, Jane takes a picture. _God, she looks so damn adorable!_ "Come on, Maur." She probes, grabbing hold of the smaller woman's arms, staring her down.

There's a reason why her teammates call her 'Maura the bore-a'; she doesn't really know how to relax and unwind. But there's something about this younger woman that makes her feel like she can do anything. Determined to change, the honey-blonde breaks out into a wide smile and makes her first pose. Smiling back at her, Jane releases her grip on the smaller woman and backs up until she is in prime photography position.

For the second time tonight, they loose track of time. At eighty thirty, a woman announces that customers must make their final purchases, since the store is closing in thirty minutes. But because of Jane's stubbornness, she attempts to milk out every last one of those minutes. _If shopping was this fun back home then perhaps I would do it more!_

Pressed for time, Maura is finally able to get Jane to leave the store before nine by telling her that she still owes her dessert and must get going before the other stores close. After deciding on frozen yogurt, Maura leads them up to 'YooMoo'. Since everything is closing, they take their dessert to go, and make their way back to the Village.

**xxxxxx**

"I had a fantastic time tonight." Jane says as she fiddles with her room key, not wanting to go inside just yet.

"I did too. You certainly took me out of my comfort zone tonight and I loved every minute of it. Thank you." Maura responds with a gentle smile, finding herself lost in the taller woman's deep, chocolate eyes once again.

"No, thank you. That was the most fun I've had since I've been here." The brunette responds with a smile that reaches her eyes.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Jane continues, "Well, I should head inside now. Got that stupid curfew thing to follow." She chuckles.

"All right. I will see you around?" Maura asks hopeful.

"Of course." The brunette responds immediately.

With that Maura flashes a thousand watt smile and leans up to kiss Jane's left cheek, then her right. Startled by the sudden intrusion of her personal space, Jane stiffens but relaxes as soon as she feels Maura's soft lips upon her cheeks. Inhaling a little bit of the honey-blonde's perfume, the taller woman fights the moan that's threatening to emanate from her throat. _Oh God, she smells so good._ When the smaller woman pulls away, Jane swears she sees desire within the hazel pools. Next thing the brunette knows she's leaning down towards the smaller woman, watching as her eyes close. _This is it Rizzoli! Don't fuck it up!_

"Shit! Sorry! I heard voices so…" A voice interrupts.

_Are you fucking kidding me right now?!_ Perturbed by the sudden intrusion, Jane whips her head around and sees her roommate leaning against the doorway. "So use the damn peephole! That's what it's for!" Jane shouts, gesturing wildly at the door, shooting Hope a death glare.

Turing back to Maura, the brunette takes a calming breath before continuing. "I'm sorry about that." She apologizes, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"It's fine Jane." Turning to the intruder she introduces herself. "Hi, I'm Maura." She greets, holding out her hand.

"Hope. Nice to meet you." She replies, shaking her hand.

"You too." She says with a tight smile. Turning her attention back to Jane, she pulls her into a hug.

"Don't forget about me, all right?" The honey-blonde whispers into Jane's ear before pulling away from the hug, winking at her.

"Wouldn't dream of it." She responds, flashing her a Rizzoli grin.

_God, what I wouldn't give to brush my fingers across her dimples. They're so charming! _With this last thought, Maura heads back to the elevators. When the doors ding open, she glances back down the hall and smiles when she sees the brunette sticking her head out of the doorway, waving goodbye to her. Chuckling at the sight, she waves back before stepping through the steel doors.

* * *

**A/N: **O_o Don't worry! All good things come to those who wait...and review! :-)


	6. Under Pressure

**A/N:** First, I'd like to give a huge thank you to my proofreader, **Harrytoad**! Second, the U.S. vs. Canada game almost gave me a heart attack! Lastly, enjoy the chapter! I had a blast writing it! :)

* * *

**Chapter 6: Under Pressure**

_Jane doesn't know how this happened; only that it has. One moment, she's sitting quietly in the laundry room reading her book, then the next she's pinning Maura against the wall kissing her as if her life depended on it. Spurred on by the honey-blonde's breathless moans and the feel of her breasts against her own, the keeper grabs the gymnast's ass and lifts her up onto the nearest washer, never breaking contact._

_Now that she's standing in between Maura's legs gripping onto curvy hips, the gymnast wraps her legs around the brunette's waist as she grasps hold of her long locks, hips rocking forward trying to bring her impossibly closer to the taller woman. This ferocious movement from the ordinarily composed gymnast causes Jane to growl into her mouth, desire pooling in the pit of her stomach. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Maura tentatively slides her tongue along her bottom lip, asking for entry. The minute Jane feels the soft tongue graze her; she hungrily attacks the kiss. Tongues move in a synchronized manner as breathless moans fill the room._

_Needing air, Jane breaks away from the honey-blonde's lips and kisses her way down to her chin, over to the sensitive area behind her ear, and then rakes her teeth down the column of her neck, gently nipping and sucking along the way._

"_Oh Jane." The smaller woman moans, her grip tightening as the brunette kisses her most tender areas._

_Encouraged by hearing the smaller woman moaning her name, the brunette slides her left hand up to her right breast and gives it a gentle squeeze, eliciting a low groan from the honey-blonde._

"_Oh God, Jane, please." The gymnast begs._

"_Please what?"_

"Jane?" The honey-blonde tries again_._

"_Here in the laundry room, Maur? How scandalous of you." The taller woman counters, her lips still attacking the gymnast's neck._

"JANE!" Maura practically yells again, trying to wake her. It works, but she is not prepared for the sight in front of her. _Dilated pupils, moaning and breathing heavily. Oh gosh, was she having a sex dream?_ "Hi. You were moaning and breathing heavily and I couldn't wake you right away. Are you all right?"

"Just peachy." The brunette says a little to harshly. "Sorry. I'm just a little embarrassed is all." Taking a moment to collect herself, she stands up from her chair, stretches, then looks down at Maura. "Oh my god, Maur! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asks, seeing normally flawless hazel eyes now bloodshot and puffy.

"Just family troubles. Don't want to burden you with them. I just came down here to get away from my roommate because I didn't want anyone to see me like this." She replies, waving dismissively.

Grabbing the honey-blonde's hands in both of hers she says, "Maur, look at me." Once the smaller woman looks at her she continues. "God knows I've had my share of family issues so no judgments here, but I can tell there's something eating away at you and if you need someone to talk to, I am here, all right?" Maura nods. "Good, now let's go up to the lobby so you can tell me, or not tell me, what's on your mind." She suggests, smiling.

**xxxxxx**

After grabbing two waters, the women head over to a secluded corner of the lobby and Jane flops down onto one of the plush chairs while Maura gracefully lowers herself onto the one across from her.

While Jane reclines comfortably, waiting silently for her newfound friend to speak, Maura is all of a sudden preoccupied with picking at the label of her water bottle. After a few minutes of figuring out that the brunette was not going to be the one to initiate the conversation, she breathes a heavy sigh before looking up into Jane's eyes. "First, I'd like to apologize for not spending time with you these past nine days or going to your games. Since our night at Harrods, our coach worked us hard before the team competition this past Tuesday. Then I only had a day to rest before I competed in the all-around, and I couldn't seem to find the time to see you. For that, I am truly sorry, Jane." She says sadly before returning her attention back to the label.

Leaning forward, Jane takes the water bottle out of her hands and replaces them with hers once again, rubbing her thumbs across the backs of them comfortingly. "Maura, it's okay." Maura shakes her head. "Honestly, it is. These are the Olympics and they only happen every four years. If these were my last Olympics, I'd want to do everything I could so that I don't live with regrets. Don't worry about me, all right? Focus on you; I promise I'll be here when this is all over." She finishes with a smile, hoping to relieve the honey-blonde of some of her guilt.

Listening to Jane's comforting words makes her eyes glisten with unshed tears. _How is it that we've only known each other for twelve days, yet I feel like I've known her for years?_ "Thank you Jane. You always seem to know the right thing to say."

"I do, don't I!" The brunette declares, a toothy grin gradually spreading across her face.

"Oh Jane." The honey-blonde chastises, giggling.

As soon as the laughter dies down, Jane probes further. "Now that you got that off your chest, why don't you tell me what's really bothering you, Maur?"

Once the gymnast gets over the initial shock of how quickly the younger woman saw right through her, she takes a deep calming breath before continuing. "I just feel like one great disappointment to my parents and that no matter what medal I win, it's never good enough for them." She says, hoping that that was good enough for the brunette. However, when she remains silent, the honey-blonde knows she's not getting off the hook that easily. After taking another deep breath, she carries on with her story. "In Athens eight years ago, our team won the silver while I missed the podium for the all-around by a tenth of a point. But I was fortunate to qualify for the individual floor event and won bronze. At sixteen years old, that was my first Olympics and I was so excited to have two medals around my neck, but my parents didn't see it that way. Instead they informed me that they didn't spend all that money on the best coaches and gyms just to have their daughter win two of six possible medals and for neither of them to be gold."

At this point, Maura notices how Jane's jaw clenches and her fingers squeeze into tight fists at the mention of how her parents treated her. She pauses for a moment to give the brunette a chance to interject, but she doesn't so she proceeds. "Then four years ago in Beijing, our team won the silver again, but I managed to win bronze in the all-around, thus sweeping the podium with Shawn and Nastia. As for the individual events, I qualified for all four and won gold in all the events. I was at my prime and completely ecstatic to have swept the gold in all the individual events. At that moment, I thought I had finally made my parents proud and was prepared to retire and pursue a normal life and refocus my attention on medical school, but I was sadly mistaken. I may have won gold in floor, vault, beam, and bars but I didn't hold the 'all-around' title so my parents still saw me as a disappointment.

Now here I am at my third and final Olympics, with a body of a forty year old competing against girls who are eight years younger than me, trying to win six gold medals so I can finally make my parents proud. Fortunately, I am a third of the way there with my gold medal wins in the team competition and the all-around, but even being dubbed the 'All-Around Champion' my parents still aren't truly proud of me. All they kept talking about during brunch today was bringing home the remaining four gold medals. Not once did they tell me how proud they were of me for winning the all-around title." She finishes, choking back a sob.

Seeing how much anguish the honey-blonde is in, Jane immediately stands up and quickly moves over to Maura and gives her an 'emotional Heimlich'. Overcome by the security she feels as the taller woman's strong arms wrap around her, she gives in and completely lets go. Holding a now shaking woman, Jane gently rubs her hands up and down Maura's back trying to soothe her. _I can't believe her own fucking parents would treat her this way! No one who is this beautiful inside and out should _ever_ feel this miserable. I really want to give her parents a piece of my mind._

After a few minutes, the shaking has ceased and Maura pulls away and is now looking up into dark chocolate eyes that she's grown to like so much; every time she looks into them, she can feel her troubles slowly drifting away. "Thank you for listening, Jane. I didn't realize how much this was affecting me until I said it aloud." She whispers.

"Anytime. And I swear, if I ever meet your parents, they are going to get one helluva ear full from this Italian." She promises, pointing at herself with her thumb, causing the smaller woman to giggle once again.

Wanting to keep her mind off of her parents, Jane changes the subject. "And congrats on your gold medals! That is freakin' amazing! In case I don't win one, can I see yours sometime?" She asks, excited at the prospect of seeing an Olympic medal in person.

"Of course. Actually, if you have time now, you can come up to my room and take a look." She offers.

Checking her watch, it's ten seventeen. _About an hour till I have to be in my room…_"Yup, I have some time to spare. Let's go!" She says animatedly, grabbing Maura's hand, swiftly leading them towards the elevators.

"Wait! Jane! Don't you need to go back to the laundry room to get your clothes?" She exclaims, tugging on the brunette's hand to slow her momentum.

"Nope. I just went down there to seek asylum from Hope because all her ranting about so-called 'poor commentating' was getting irritating. I figured it was a good place to get some peace and quiet since it was too late for people to start a load of laundry without breaking curfew. Now let's go!" She reiterates again, resuming their course towards the elevators.

* * *

**A/N:** I'd just like to say that I mean no disrespect to Gabby and Shawn for their gold medal wins in the all-around (2012) and individual balance beam event (2008), respectively.

Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing! You all are fabulous! Keep it up! :-)


	7. Worth Her Weight In Gold

**A/N:** I've tried to stick to the actual timeline for soccer and gymnastics as much as possible, but I had to tweak it a little bit. For this chapter, the soccer game still happens on Thursday, but I made the beam final on Tuesday and the floor final on Wednesday.

Thanks again **Harrytoad**! You rock!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Worth Her Weight In Gold**

The day has finally arrived. It's the gold medal match between the U.S. and Japan, and as much as Maura wants to be there to support her friend as she did for her these past two days, she can't. Instead she's stuck across town at a tedious press conference with all of the women who competed in gymnastics.

"Maura, you started off strong with your two gold medal wins, then finished with a bronze on vault, silver on bars, silver on beam, and just missed the podium on floor. Will we see you in Rio going for the gold in all six events?" A reporter from 'Sports Illustrated' inquires.

In the past, the 'will you return to the next Olympics?' question always precipitated so much anxiety for the honey-blonde. However, after thinking back to dinner with her parents the night before, she no longer has said anxiety.

_After the floor competition, Maura should feel relieved that her games were now over, but the impending doom associated with meeting her parents later that evening prevents her from feeling such relief. She always has post competition dinners with them, but this one will be particularly nerve-racking since she hasn't mentioned that she's retiring. Thinking she may need emotional support, she asks Jane if she wouldn't mind going with her._

_Dinner had been pleasant, all things considered. Although, when her mother informed her that her father couldn't make it, she knew he couldn't be around her because, in his eyes, she had failed him. Now standing outside the doors to the Village, Jane turns to Maura. _

"_Maura, would you mind heading inside to grab us some water? I'd love to get to know your mother better."_

_Giving her a questioning look, only to receive a reassuring one in return, she replies. "Um, sure, excuse me."_

"_Nice of you to come." Constance says, once her daughter leaves._

"_Thank you. I loved the baby jewels and gems; not pretentious at all." Jane declares sarcastically._

_Constance chuckles dryly. "I can see why Maura likes you; you're direct. It's kind of refreshing."_

"_I'm protective. Maura's my friend." The brunette states simply, hands folding down in front of her, taking a defensive stance._

"_I sense there is something you'd like to say to me?"_

"_Yeah, there is. I don't like seeing her hurt."_

"_You think I hurt her?"_

_Giving her a 'really?' face she continues. "Not celebrating when she won a silver in her first Olympics? Not being there for her four years ago when she considered retiring after she won the all-around title in order to focus on medical school? Hell, even now, you don't even applaud her for the achievement she's made; collectively she's won your six precious gold medals. Yeah, I think that hurts her." She states, loathing coating her voice._

"_She's one of the best gymnasts in the world. We didn't want to get in her way and compromise that. She must know how proud I am of her? How much I love her?"_

"_Not really the signals you're sending. It seems you were too busy while she was growing up and now you're blaming her for being too busy and too focused?" The younger woman says, starring her down._

_Trying to get her emotions under control she continues haltingly. "I was never really good at it."_

"_At what?"_

"_Being a mother. I feel like I just missed so much."_

"_Why don't you just tell her that?"_

_Before the Isles matriarch could respond, a small voice cuts in. "Sorry to interrupt, but here's your water Jane." Maura says, handing the brunette a bottle._

_The taller woman continues to stare Constance down as she blindly reaches for the drink. "Well, I must be going now. Gotta rest up before my gold medal match tomorrow. It was nice to finally meet you." She says, extending her hand towards Mrs. Isles._

"_You too." She says, shaking her hand before turning to her daughter. "Maura, darling. I truly enjoyed watching you perform these past few days. I am sad that this was the last time you will compete, but only because I won't get to watch your brilliance anymore." She reveals, her voice shaking with emotion as she brings her daughter in for a hug._

_Maura can't remember the last time her mother hugged her like this, or at all for that matter, but she's certainly not complaining as she returns it with eagerness. _

_Pulling away, she and her mother exchange European kisses before her mother returns to her vehicle. After waving goodbye, the smaller woman turns to Jane and immediately flings her arms around her neck. "I don't know what you said to her, but thank you." She whispers into her ear, tears streaming down her face._

_Not wanting to ruin the moment, Jane simply nods and continues to hold her._

Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, she smiles before answering. "No, you will not. These are my last Olympics. If I do go to Rio, it will be in the capacity of a spectator." The honey-blonde says proudly because for the first time in her gymnastics career, she truly feels supported. _And I owe that to Jane. God, why did the press conference have to be at the same time as her game?!_ She thinks, frustrated at her predicament. Her annoyance is short-lived, however, as she comes up with a perfect way to make it up to her.

Realizing that they weren't going to get anything more from the honey-blonde, the reporters turn their attention to one of her teammates. When this occurs, Maura discretely pulls out her phone and texts Addison her plans to surprise the brunette and if she could help out. No more than a half hour later, her phone vibrates. **Private pod booked for the last rotation at 9:30 tomorrow night. Good luck! ;-)** The honey-blonde can't help but smile at her friend's antics. Ever since she told her about their 'almost kiss' and how she woke Jane up from a sex dream, the redhead knows Maura is craving one in reality.

**xxxxxx**

Meanwhile, at the jam-packed Wembley Stadium, it's the second minute of the second half and Hope has suffered a major injury during an indirect free kick for Japan. Taken from the top left corner of the eighteen-yard box, Japan's deadliest set-piece kicker strikes the ball and floats it in the air around the six-yard box, forcing Hope to dive straight forward, punching the ball away. However, successfully punching the ball clear comes at a price.

As she plunges forward, she's blind-sided when two players make diving headers and inadvertently smash into her head. The force of this collision spins Hope's entire body to the left and she hits the grass hard, face first. Now she's lying limply on her stomach, limbs outstretched, just inside her six-yard box, not moving.

At this sight, the referee immediately blows her whistle and signals for the stretchers to come out. While the U.S. and Japanese players are down and writhing in pain, Hope is still immobile. After a couple of minutes, the medics who are working on her carefully turn her onto her back. Still working on her moments later, there's finally movement as she bends her knees to a ninety-degree angle, cleats planted in the ground. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief that no serious damage had been done, but the medics can't clear her to play because of fear that she has a concussion. If that wasn't enough to convince her stubborn self, her left eye would, seeing as it's swollen shut.

The minute Pia saw that Hope wasn't moving, she motioned for Paul to warm-up Jane. When Hope stands up and starts walking to the midfield line, she finally sees the extent of the damage and motions for the brunette. Once Jane reaches her, she grabs her arms. "You can do this, kid. I wouldn't have brought you on if I didn't think you could do it. Go get 'em!"

**xxxxxx**

Before Jane subbed in for Hope, the U.S. had a one goal lead, thanks to Llyod early in the first half. Then just seven minutes after the young goalkeeper stepped onto the pitch, Llyod scored again, making it 2-0. However, ten minutes following this second goal, confusion and poor clearing allowed Japan to put one past Rizzoli and into the net. Throughout the remaining thirty minutes of the match, there were a couple of close calls, but despite the fact that these are her first Olympics, Jane was spectacular between the posts.

These remaining minutes pass by in a blur to the young keeper. Having felt like she just entered the game, the brunette can hardly believe that the next sound she hears is that of the head referee blowing her whistle three times, signifying the end of the game and, thus, the U.S. as winners of the gold medal. As soon as the second whistle resonates throughout the stadium, Jane can't contain the ear-to-ear grin that spreads across her face. _Holy shit! We just won the gold medal! I just won a gold medal! Fuck yeah!_ She excitedly thinks to herself as she jumps up and down with one of her teammates.

**xxxxxx**

It's late by the time Jane arrives back to her room. The medal ceremony and post-game interviews may be over, but she's still intoxicated from the night's events and still feels adrenaline pulsing through her veins. She's on cloud nine right now and has to call her mom.

The person on the other end picks up after the first ring. "JANIE! Congrats my baby girl! I'm so proud of you!" Angela exclaims, causing Jane to pull the phone away from her ear.

"Thanks Ma! I just wanted to call and tell you that I couldn't have gotten here without your love and support." She declares, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. "So thank you."

"Oh Janie, I wish I could be there with you, but know that we all watched you today and we can't wait for you to come home!"

"Me too, Ma." She says half-heartedly, part of her not wanting to leave so soon after meeting Maura, but she also feels home sick.

"So how does it feel?"

"I still can't believe it happened!" Looking down, she fiddles with her medal. "And it's heavy! You could do some serious damage with this thing! I think it's the best looking one I've seen, if I do say so myself."

"That's great honey. Is Hope okay?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine. The doctors say that she didn't suffer a concussion even though she took a tough one to the noggin'. But I get to be the one to wake her every two hours just to make sure she doesn't slip into a coma or whatnot. Now I'll get to know what it felt like for you a couple years ago."

"Which time?" They both share a laugh. "Well, I know it must be late for you so I will let you go. Tell Hope I said 'hello'. I love you."

"Will do Ma! Love you too. Bye!"

"Bye sweetheart."

Hanging up, Jane places her phone on the side table before heading to the shower. After she finishes, she returns to her bed and hears her phone vibrate once, signaling she's received a text. Unlocking her phone, she immediately smiles at the name on the screen.

**Hi Jane. Congratulations on your win tonight! I'm sorry I couldn't make it, but I would like the chance to make it up to you. Meet me in the lobby at 7:45 tomorrow night? Dress warmly. M**

She immediately texts back. **Oh, a surprise eh? K, C U 2morrow! J**

Before calling it a night, Jane sets her alarm to go off every two hours so that she can wake Hope, which shouldn't be too difficult considering she might not even fall asleep since she's still buzzing from her win and receiving a text from her crush.


	8. Too Marvelous For Words

**A/N:** Thank you all SO very much for sticking with this story and reviewing! 100+ reviews for my first ever fanfic story is incredible!

In honor of the Closing Ceremony, here's the latest installment!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Too Marvelous For Words**

It's 12:09 in the afternoon the day after the gold medal match, and Jane and her teammates decide to celebrate by touring London. They went to some eateries, rode a double-decker bus, enjoyed making faces at the guards outside Buckingham Palace, and topped off their trip by visiting Big Ben.

When they get back to the Village, it's 5:38 in the evening and Jane's starving. Having done such a good job maintaining a healthy diet during these games, she decides to reward herself by ordering a nice juicy bacon burger from the restaurant downstairs. _Damn, I'm already salivating and I haven't even seen the burger yet!_

After placing her order over the phone, she climbs onto her bed and scrolls through pictures of today's adventures. Skimming through the photos on her phone, she begins to wonder what it would've been like to tour the city with Maura. _She probably would've known more facts than that tour guide on the bus! Not to mention WAY more attractive!_ With a couple more swipes, she reaches the pictures of her time at Harrods with the honey-blonde and a big goofy smile emerges on face, which doesn't go unnoticed by her roommate.

"What's crackin' Rizzoli? You look like the cat that ate the canary." Hope jests.

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing." _Gotta change the subject_. "Looks like you're feeling better."

"Much. Thanks for waking me up. I know that couldn't have been easy."

"No worries. I couldn't really sleep last night anyway; too excited!"

"Yeah, you had quite a game! Perhaps Coach will keep you on as second string."

Jane feels like a needle just poked a hole in her 'euphoria bubble' and all her joy is slowly seeping out. _Would Pia ask me to leave if Nicole recovers from her knee surgery?_ Before more questions could filter through her brain, the door knocks. "Room service."

**xxxxxx**

Taking the honey-blonde's advice, Jane puts on a pair of 'boyfriend' jeans, a strong cherry red long-sleeved fitted top, and her black leather jacket. Checking her white Nike stopwatch: 7:42. _Oh! Time to go! _Slipping into her Adidas sneakers, she heads down to the lobby.

Stepping out of the elevator, she glances around the room and beams as her eyes land on the gymnast. Walking towards the honey-blonde, Jane gazes from bottom to top, surveying her outfit; she's wearing denim faded blue skinny jeans, tucked into Christian Louboutin red bottom calf-high suede black boots, paired with a silky green top underneath an asymmetrical black lamb leather 'Virgina' wide collar jacket. Since it's a cool night, the honey-blonde lets her long-locks flow freely, resting on her shoulders and against her back.

"Wow, you look…you look breathtaking."

"Thank you, Jane." Maura replies, smiling at her nervousness. "You look lovely yourself. Your hair is absolutely beautiful. I love the auburn highlights framing your face; they create a nice contrast to your dark hair. Did you get them done professionally or did you do it yourself?"

Jane looks at her confused. "Highlights? Oh! Gotcha. No, these are au naturel from all those hours spent out in the sun. Never really noticed them before." She shrugs, nervously rubbing her fingers through her wild mane. "So, you gonna to tell me where we're going?"

"Yes and no. I can tell you that we have somewhere to be at nine-thirty, but I won't tell you where. In the meantime, since you loved YooMoo's frozen yogurt, I thought we could go there and you can tell me all about your game."

"Sounds great! Although, I don't feel like walking there this time and, by the looks of things, I don't think you would either." She asserts, glancing down at the gymnast's footwear.

"Oh, these silly things? They wouldn't be bothersome; I've worn heels for so long that I could practically go on my morning runs in them."

"Okie dokie, if you say so. Then how are we going to get there?"

Ushering Jane out the door, Maura stops them in front of a black GTS Super 125 IE Vespa.

"No way! Are you kidding me?! How di—how?!" Jane sputters, astounded that Maura remembered her story of how much fun she had on one when she visited Italy on a family trip a few years ago.

"I asked my friend if I could borrow it for tonight. You like?"

"Hell yeah! It's gorgeous!" She shouts, running her hands along the vehicle. _Not as stunning as you of course. Although, if you were to sit on this, naked…Oh. My. God!_

Eyeing the taller woman this entire time, Maura doesn't miss the way Jane's pupils dilate. _Oh Jane, what were you just thinking?_ Clearing her throat, she hands the extra helmet to Jane. "Would you like to drive?"

"Nah, as much as I'd like to, it's your friend's Vespa and I wouldn't want to risk wrecking it. Besides, I've forgotten how to get to Harrods." She says, snapping the chin-strap into place.

"All right. Hop on."

**xxxxxx**

Arriving in the vicinity of their destination with ten minutes left before their appointment, Jane still has no idea what surprise Maura has in store for her. Finding an open bench in the walkway leading up to the apparatus, they sit down and enjoy what's left of their frozen yogurts.

Surveying the immediate area surrounding them, Jane is amazed by its beauty. Lining the pathway leading up to something resembling a fiber-optic Ferris wheel are Black Birch trees adorned with icy blue lights. "If I didn't know any better, I would say London is more beautiful at night; everything looks more elegant when it's lit up, if that's even possible." She whispers, completely awestruck. "It would be great if I could see all of it." She wishes, finishing off her mocha, chocolate swirl.

"Well you're in luck Jane." Maura says.

"Oh yeah? How so?" She asks distractedly, still staring at the gigantic Ferris wheel.

"That, right there, is the London Eye; a thirty-minute ride that offers a three hundred and sixty degree view of the city." She informs, pointing to the wheel with her spoon. "As a token of my gratitude for all that you've done for me these past couple of weeks, I reserved us a private capsule so you can enjoy the skyline, tourist free." She states.

Feeling like a kid on Christmas day, an ear-to-ear grin breaks out across Jane's face. "What?! Are you serious?! That's amazing! You're amazing!" She says giddily, hugging Maura tightly.

Not wanting to let go, Maura looks at her watch over Jane's shoulder: 9:26. "I'm glad you like it, and if we want to make it on time, we should head over now." She says, pulling away and standing up.

Showing the ticket-taker her confirmation email on her phone, Maura and Jane board their pod. As the wheel gradually rotates counter-clockwise, the taller woman makes her way over to the edge so she can get an unobstructed view, instinctively grabbing hold of the railing.

While Jane is having the time of her life, the same can't be said for Maura. On the incline, the smaller woman gradually grips the railing tighter and tighter, her palms and armpits starting to sweat. _Great, just perfect! Just breathe. It'll be okay. Just breathe. Look at Jane, that'll help. _The honey-blonde instructs as she takes deep, calming breaths.

By the time the Eye pauses at the highest point, Jane's overwhelmed by the scenery in front of her. One of the first landmarks she sees is the Tower Bridge with the Olympic rings lit up underneath it. Next, her eyes are drawn to another exquisite sight; emerging from a soft golden pool of light is Big Ben. "Wow. So beautiful." She whispers.

Maura has been standing next to Jane this entire time fixated on her, watching as her wide chocolate eyes bounce from one landmark to the other, drinking it all in. When she hears Jane's words, she places her left hand on top of Jane's left. "Yes, it is." She whispers back while looking at the brunette's profile.

That's it; the brunette's heart skips a beat from the combination of Maura's touch and her sultry voice. Still clutching the railing, Jane looks down at her hand before turning her head to the left to look at Maura. The honey-blonde's gaze is so intense that she's afraid her knees will buckle, causing her to unconsciously tighten her grip.

Getting lost in the younger woman's eyes, Maura momentarily forgets that they're four hundred and forty-three feet off the ground. Overcome by a bout of confidence, Maura's left hand slides up to the goalkeeper's biceps while her right hand skims across the taller woman's lower back before anchoring onto her right hip.

Gazing into each other's eyes, both women silently search for any sign that'll tell them neither want to do this; but nothing's there except desire. Moving in ninety percent of the way, Maura stops, her hot breath tickling the brunette's lips, waiting for the younger woman to want the kiss as much as she does. Driven wild by the tantalizing proximity of the gymnast's mouth, Jane doesn't wait any longer and closes the gap with a growl, velvety lips crashing together passionately.

Never breaking the connection, the goalkeeper relinquishes control of the railing and turns to the left, squarely facing the gymnast, her strong hands now gripping long locks of honey-blonde tresses. Using the height difference and her grip to her advantage, Jane rotates them back towards the railing and pins Maura against, eliciting a gasp from the gymnast as her back collides with cool steel.

They kiss feverishly for what feels like ten minutes, heavy breathing and feral moaning reverberating throughout the pod. When the need for air becomes a priority, Jane pulls away and rests her forehead against the smaller woman's. "Holy mackerel." Jane exhales, chuckling. "Sorry about that."

Maura giggles at the younger woman's choice of words. "Sorry for what?"

"I just man-handled you! I don't know what came over me!"

"Well I am certainly glad I have that effect on you, Detective." She purrs, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Jane's ear.

"If that's how 'detective' is going to sound, then I'm definitely gonna make sure I become one!" She declares, grinning.

Returning her smile, Maura reaches out with her right hand and runs her fingers along the brunette's left dimple before grazing them across soft lips. At this contact, the brunette purses her lips together and gently presses a kiss to the pad of Maura's thumb. Wanting to feel Jane's silky lips back on hers, she grips the back of her neck and brings the taller woman down for another languid kiss. "God, I can't tell how long I've wanted to do this." The honey-blonde admits.

"If you're anything like me, I'd say since Hope blue-balled us." Jane reveals, laughing.

"Blue-balled?"

"Seriously?" She's met with a blank stare. "Okay, so it's, um, just a phrase you say when someone or something abruptly interrupts a pleasurable moment." The younger woman quickly blurts out, blushing crimson with embarrassment.

"Ah, I see. And yes, that's how long I've wanted to. So…am I just as good as you imagined?" She asks coyly, running her fingers along the front of Jane's jacket.

The brunette's jaw drops in shock. "What? How did—when did you—wait, huh?" She asks, clearly flustered.

"Haha, oh Jane. When I woke you that night in the laundry room, you were having a sex dream, weren't you?"

She sighs dejectedly. "Yes."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of; it's quite normal. According to the Univer—"

Leaning down, the brunette cuts her off with a lengthy kiss, effectively interrupting one of her Google-mouth lectures. _How am I making out with a smart, beautiful woman right now? How'd I get so lucky? _"Mmm, thank you Nicole." The brunette mumbles. _Oh fuck! God, I hope she didn't hear that!_

"Excuse me?" Maura asks incredulously, using her palm to push Jane away from her.

_Open mouth and insert foot Rizzoli!_ "Sorry, sorry, sorry! God, that was a bonehead-move on my part." She mutters. Clearing her throat, she takes Maura's hands in hers and looks her in the eye. "I was just thinking that if it weren't for the second-string keeper getting injured, I never would have been approached by Pia, and I never would've come here and gotten to meet you." She confesses, smiling. "Nor would I've been able to kiss you like this." She demonstrates with a searing kiss, her hands now griping the railing on either side of Maura, trapping her once again.

Moaning into her mouth, Maura's hands grasp at the goalkeeper's toned back. When they break for air, Maura also puts her two cents in. "Well, since we're thanking people, I would like to give many thanks to Nastia. As devastating as it was to watch a fellow teammate fall off the bars, if it weren't for that I don't think I would've made the team and never would have gotten the chance to meet you either."

Jane grins broadly at Maura's words, thankful that she didn't ruin the moment. To show her appreciation, Jane initiates yet another kiss, this time slowly dragging her tongue across the honey-blonde's lower lip, tentatively seeking entry. When she's greeted by an equally eager tongue, the swirling and curling of tongues provokes groans from both women.

Unsure if her light-headedness is a consequence of all the kissing or of being so high up in the air, Maura breaks the kiss. "Um, Jane? Can we continue this activity more towards the center? I don't wish to have a vasovagal syncope episode in front of you."

"Don't know what that vaso-bagel sinking thing is, but of course." Taking her hand in hers, Jane notices it's cold and clammy. "You okay Maur?" She asks concerned, her thumb stroking the back of the honey-blonde's hand.

"I will be once we touch back down on the ground, and 'vasovagal syncope' means fainting." Jane stares at her, not understanding. "I, uh, I'm afraid of heights." She confesses sheepishly.

"Really? But you fly in the air on the uneven bars!" She declares, surprised at the gymnast's phobia.

"I know it's not rational, but I can't help it!" She pouts.

"Aww, c'mere." She commands, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. "It's okay. I think I may have the perfect treatment." She tempts, the low timbre of the Italian's voice sending warmth throughout Maura's entire body.

Taking the honey-blonde's face in her hands, Jane gently strokes her cheeks with her thumbs. Leaning down, the taller woman places soothing kisses on the gymnast's flawless forehead, on her eyelids, on her cute nose, and on the corner of her luscious mouth before claiming her swollen lips once more. This certainly does the trick because Maura doesn't register that they've reached the bottom until someone's coughing, causing both women to jump apart.

"Oops, sorry ma'am! I didn't realize the ride was over." Maura states, pulling out a twenty to tip the woman.

Grabbing Jane's hand, they quickly depart the capsule and break out into a swift jog-walk combination down the pathway. Looking back over her shoulder, Jane's horrified at what she sees. "Oh my God, Maura! We fogged up the pod!" She says with a faux shocked expression, making them burst out laughing.

Pulling on her hand, Jane stops them halfway down the walkway and grabs Maura's other hand and peers into those gorgeous hazel eyes that captured her attention all those days ago. "Before we go any further, I need to say something." She pauses, making sure she has Maura's attention before proceeding. "I've heard rumors that the Olympic Village is a hotbed for sex, and I just wanted to let you know that this," she gestures between the two of them, "means so much more to me than that. I have never met anyone like you before in my life; granted, I haven't been alive for that long," they both giggle, "but I do know that when something great comes along, I do everything I can to hold onto it." Her grip tightens for emphasis. "I really, _really_, like you Maura; and when these games are over and we return to Boston, I'd truly like to continue what we've started here tonight."

When Jane initially stopped them, Maura prepared herself for the worse. But as the brunette explained herself, Maura couldn't restrain the Cheshire cat grin that stretched across her face. "Oh, Jane." She sighs, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Before these Olympics, I thought the only way I could ever be happy was if made my parents happy by winning six gold medals in one Olympic games. But then I met you and you completely turned my world upside down and showed me that there are more important things in life than gold medals." Reaching up, Jane swipes away the tear that trickles down her face. "So, yes. I would also like to continue what we have started here." She agrees, wrapping her arms around the taller woman's waist before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Thank you so much for tonight, Maur. I will never forget it." She admits, swaying to a silent melody with the smaller woman in her arms, kissing the top of her head.

"You're welcome, Jane. Like I said before, after all you did for me, it was the least I could do." She professes, squeezing the brunette tighter, her head resting against her chest.

Basking in each other's warmth out in the crisp night air, the two athletes are elated that they'll be bringing home something more phenomenal than an Olympic gold medal.


	9. Somber Epilogue

**A/N: **I mean no offense to my British readers with the title. It has been from my exposure of British cinema that I've noticed the endings tend to be melancholy.

**WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ THE SOMBER EPILOGUE! If you don't want to read it, then DON'T! Remember: these epilogues are two distinct futures; you do NOT have to read this in order to understand the fluff piece!**

For those of you still reading this, I applaud you. Now buckle up, because you're in for a bumpy ride!

* * *

"**British" Epilogue: 27 years later (2039)**

"Mia! Tony! Breakfast's ready!" The honey-blonde calls out to a seemingly empty house. "Come eat before it gets cold!"

First of the two children to run down the stairs is fifteen year old, Tony. "Mmm, smells good Mom!" He says, plopping down onto a barstool at the breakfast bar.

"Antonio Montgomery Rizzoli! What have I told you about running down the stairs?" She chides, handing him a plate-full of egg whites, pancakes, bacon, and sausage.

"Ugh, come on Mom! My full name? Really? I'm fifteen! I think I can handle a few steps!" The spunky brunette quips, flashing her a toothy grin_._

_God, he takes after his mother. _Shaking her head, she turns back to the stove and prepares another plate. "Where's your sister?"

"Prolly still in 'er 'om." He says with a mouthful of food. _Yup, definitely his mother's son. _

After wiping down the small mess she made on the counter, she heads upstairs. "Mia, you all right in there?" Maura asks, knocking on her daughter's 'Stanford Soccer' pride-clad door. Leaning her ear up against it, she's not prepared for what she hears. The second she hears muffled sobs, she barges in and sees her daughter lying on her side, cuddling her pillow. "Oh Honey! What's the matter?" She asks concerned, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her daughter, rubbing her left hand up and down her daughter's side.

"I-I-I can-can-can't f-f-f-ind my lucky picture!" Mia blubbers, squeezing the pillow tighter.

"Oh Sweetie, come here." She pulls her daughter into her arms, rocking her slowly. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay. It's just a picture. We can always print out another one." She tries comfortingly; not knowing exactly what photograph is the subject of this conversation.

"NO! You don't understand!" The eighteen year old yells, jerking out of her mother's arms as if she'd been burned. "Ma gave it to me so that when she couldn't make it to my games in person, she'd still be there with me! And today's the last day of tryouts before the Olympic team is chosen and I need her!"

The abruptness of Mia's movement catches Maura off guard. Trying not to take it personally, she presses on. "Have you looked in your bag?"

"Yes! And I looked in my desk and under my bed and everywhere! It's not here!" She shouts, hiding her face in her hands, furious at herself for losing something so important to her.

Anxious about causing Mia more pain, Maura doesn't say anything and simply encircles her daughter, placing kisses on the top of her head. Moments later, the crying has stopped and Mia is looking up at her mom. "Do I smell bacon?"

"You sure do, and I made pancakes." She smiles, wiping away the tears on Mia's face.

"Bunny pancakes?" She inquires, a slight smile on her face.

"Is there any other kind?" She replies, brushing her fingers through her daughter's blonde bangs.

**xxxxxx**

Originally, Maura was going to take Tony to his gymnastics tournament while the Korsaks took Mia to her soccer tryouts. However, after Mia's meltdown, Maura called Angela with a change of plans.

An hour later, Tony's grandparents arrive at the house to take him to his competition. "Good luck today, Honey. Even though I can't make it today, your sister and I will certainly be there to root for you tomorrow, okay?" Maura promises, hugging Tony before he walks out the door to the car with Vince; Angela hangs back to have a little chat with Maura.

"Is everything okay Sweetheart? Has something happened?"

"More or less. Mia had a, um, she had a small meltdown this morning and I think she needs some time alone with Jane before this afternoon." She informs mournfully.

"I understand. If you want, Tony can spend the night with us and we can take him back to the competition tomorrow?" She offers.

"I think he'd love that. It's been a while since he's seen you guys."

"Great! I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little spoiling." She jokes.

Laughing lightly, she hugs the older woman. "Thank you Angela."

"Anytime Maura."

**xxxxxx**

The entire drive over, Mia sits in silence, resting her head against the window, trying to psych herself up for the tryouts. _Come on Mia! This is what you've trained your whole life for; don't let a picture get in the way of that. Yeah, but it was one of the last things Ma gave me before…_

"We're here Honey." Maura's melodious voice rings throughout the car, interrupting Mia's internal battle.

Expecting to see a soccer complex, she's taken aback when the scenery does not reflect that. "Why are we here?" The eighteen year old asks anxiously, stepping out of the car, heading over to the walkway she hasn't stepped foot on in a year.

"After this morning, I thought you would like a moment alone with her." She encourages, walking down the gravel pathway, hand-in-hand with her daughter. Sensing Mia's tentative steps, she tries again. "If you need me, I'll be right there with you, okay?" She supports, squeezing her hand. Mia only nods in response.

Two minutes later, they reach their destination.

_Jane Clementine Rizzoli_

_June 12, 1993—July 23, 2038_

_Loving Mother, Wife, Daughter, and Friend_

After standing there for a silent moment, Mia squeezes her mother's hand before letting go and walks three steps closer to the tombstone. "Hey Ma. I, uh…my, um…" She sniffles, fiddling with her hands. "I lost the picture of the two of us." She admits, her lips quivering, trying not to cry.

"Remember when you gave it to me last year? I was a mess after finding out I didn't make the U-18 National Team and you handed it to me and told me, 'Chin up, Baby. A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success, all right? Next year you'll show up and show those coaches just how much of an amazing goalkeeper you are. Got it?' Well, here I am, on the last day of tryouts hoping to make the Olympic team this year." She tries to blink back the tears, but the floodgates open.

"God, these tryouts just aren't the same without you Ma! Ever since you died, I always carry the picture around with me in my bag because I feel like you're always there to cheer me on. But now, without it, I feel so lost." She whispers, reaching up to wipe her tears away with her fingers. Seeing her daughter in distress, Maura comes up behind her and puts her hand comfortingly on Mia's left shoulder. "Mom's here with me. At least you taught her some things about soccer so she kinda knows what's going on." They chuckle, Mia reaching up with her right hand to grasp the one on her shoulder. "I miss you Ma." She confesses before turning into her mother's warm embrace. "Why does it still hurt so much Mom? Make it go away." She begs, gripping her mother tighter.

Maura could've answered her child with some study from some university, but opts for a simpler response. "I wish I could Sweetie. I wish I could." She soothes, rubbing her hands up and down Mia's back.

After a few minutes, Maura decides to break the silence. "Mia? Honey? You ready to go?" Her daughter nods against her. "All right, why don't you head back to the car so I can have a quick word with your Ma." She commands, handing her the keys.

Watching to make sure Mia gets to the car safely, Maura turns back to the tombstone. "Goddamn it Jane!" She exhales, pinching the bridge of her nose with her right hand before running it through her honey-blonde tresses. "What picture did you give her that's got her so upset? I hate watching my—our—baby girl in so much pain! I feel so hopeless to help her!" She shouts. While she's pacing across the grass she thinks back to the night when everything had gone wrong.

_It's the twenty-third and after a few weeks of unsuccessful leads in the sniper case, Maura discovered a piece of evidence earlier in the day that would lead to the arrest of the bastard. Before she had kids, Jane would go out on every arrest. However, now that she has two beautiful children, she's learned to prioritize her life and only goes on arrests where harm to her person is very minimal. _

_Telling Detectives Riley and Frankie to apprehend the suspect, Sergeant Detective Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Isles exit the building and make their way to dinner. Today is their twenty-second wedding anniversary and Jane made reservations at Le Beau Truc to spoil her wife. God knows she's more than deserved it._

_After enjoying a savory dinner, the two women order a chocolate raspberry tart for dessert. Feeding each other, they get lost in their own little world. After finishing off the last bite, Jane brings Maura in for a languid kiss, the honey-blonde tasting a mix of Jane and chocolate. They may be forty-five and fifty years old, but they still kiss one another like they're nineteen and twenty-four. "Mmm, I love you Jane." She expresses, pulling away to gaze into deep brown eyes, gently brushing her thumb across Jane's left dimple._

"_I love—MAURA GET DOWN!" She yells, flinging her body on top of the smaller woman, tackling her to the ground._

_Simultaneously a shot rings out and shatters the window three tables away from them. Mass commotion ensues and Maura is still trapped underneath the brunette. "Jane?" No response. "Jane?" She tries again, nudging her; this time__ she's__ met with a moan and hot liquid trickling down onto her arm. "JANE!" She screams, rolling the brunette onto her back, seeing blood pooling under her light blue v-neck shirt. Franticly, Maura grabs the cloth napkins from their table and applies pressure to the wound on the left side of her chest. "SOMEONE CALL 9-1-1! PLEASE!" She cries out into the restaurant. "Come on Baby, hang in there. You can do this. You've done it before. Please." She pleads to Jane._

"_Maur?" She responds weakly, her right hand reaching up to grab the honey-blonde's left wrist. "I hate…seeing you…cry."_

"_Oh, Jane." She whimpers. "Why'd you have to be so stupid? Huh?" Her right hand moving up to stroke some of the brunette's hair away from her forehead before palming her cheek, stroking her thumb across the area where her dimple was prominently displayed just mere seconds ago._

"_I-I-I saw…a red dot move on-on-onto your head and-and-and just jumped…didn't think…just…jumped…" She trails off, her eyes closing._

"_DON'T YOU DARE CLOSE YOUR EYES JANE RIZZOLI! OPEN THEM! OPEN THEM RIGHT NOW!" She orders, tapping her cheek in quick succession trying to keep the detective awake._

"_God, soooo bossy." She whispers, attempting to smile, but too weak to do so. "M-M-Maura? I love—"_

"_NO! Don't you start saying your goodbyes! You're going to pull through Baby. I know you will. That's what you do; you survive; you fight! GODDAMN IT! FIGHT!" She chokes out before breaking out into full-body sobbing._

"_Shh-shh-shh, it's going...to be…okay." She tries to sooth, knowing she doesn't have that much time left, already feeling cold and numb all over._

"_NO, IT WON'T! You can't leave me. You can't leave Mia and Tony." She pleads softly._

"_They'll be all right…I-I-I know the-the-they will be be-be-cause…because…they have…you." __She exhales, coughing violently. "Y-Y-You are our rock. You're an ex-extr-extraordinary mom and th-th-the most amazing wife I-I-I-I could've ever as-as-asked for." She praises, her breathing quickening as it's getting harder and harder to breathe. "And," she seeks sanctuary in hazel eyes, "I-I...I…l-l-l-l...love…you…" She declares with her last breath, vacant chocolate eyes staring up at tearful hazel ones, her grip on her wife's wrist now slack._

"_No." She says, not wanting to believe that her vibrant detective is gone. "No, come back Jane. Come back to me." She begs, shaking her wife. "NOOOOO!" She wails, grabbing her wife's shoulders and hoisting her up into a sitting position, Jane's head limply falling backwards. _

"_Ma'am?" A paramedic approaches. "Ma'am?" She tries again, attempting to remove Jane from Maura's ironclad grip._

"_NO! Don't you dare touch her!" She growls. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees who it is. "What took you…SO FUCKING LONG?!" She snarls, still holding onto her wife's lifeless body, rocking back and forth._

"_We got here as quick as we could." She says gently. "What's your name?"_

"_Maura." She states coldly._

"_Maura, we need to get you two out of here okay? Please, come with me." She commands, signaling her partner to come over and help with Jane's body._

_In a daze, Maura stands up with the help of the female medic and is lead to an ambulance. "Today was our anniversary." She whispers numbly to the medic as a wool blanket is wrapped around her arms._

_**xxxxxx**_

"_We caught him, Maura."_

"_Tell me who it is." She's met with silence. "TELL ME!" She bellows._

"_Ian Faulkner." Frankie informs instantly, startled by Maura's outburst._

_She feels an overwhelming urge to vomit, but suppresses it. "Did he say why?" She asks through gritted teeth._

"_No, he's not talking." Riley jumps in._

"_Let me in there with him." She demands, standing outside the interview room door, giving Frankie a searing glare._

_Not wanting to mess with Maura, he steps aside and opens the door. At the sound, the Australian looks up and smirks. "Hello Love. Looks like we can finally be together at last."_

_Maura's jaw clenches tightly at his poisonous words. "Why'd you do it Ian? Why make your move now?" She inquires, standing by the closed door, arms folded in front of her chest._

"_Africa was getting lonely and I hoped to have something more than your friendship. So when I moved back here two months ago, I learned that you and that Detective were married and had kids, and I felt that should've been me by your side with our kids. So I used the city of Boston for a little target practice to make sure I wouldn't miss when I was ready to take out the real target. You."_

_He smiles at the confused look on her face. "That's right, Maura; I was aiming for you. I thought that if I couldn't have you, then no one could; I wanted to make that bitch feel what it was like to live without the person you love."_

_She doesn't respond with words. Striding over to him, she smacks him hard across the face with the back of her right hand, making his lip bleed. "Don't you DARE talk about my wife that way! You have NO right you piece of shit!" She demands, pointing her index finger at him._

"_Oh, a feisty side of you. Guess I have Jane to thank for that. Wait, I can't now can I?" He taunts, a bloody smile spreading across his smug face._

_At this last statement, Frankie and Riley come barging in and rush to Maura, pulling her off of Ian. Carrying a kicking and squirming Maura outside the interrogation room, he sets her down and she fixes her clothes and hair. "Frankie?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Make sure that fucker pays for what he's done to us." She demands heatedly._

"We caught him Baby, and in just a few months he'll be executed by lethal injection." She informs, her fingers caressing the marble. "It's too easy if you ask me. I would've exposed him to Chromobacterium violaceum; flesh-eating bacteria." She instinctually explains herself, imagining Jane giving her a confused look. "God, I miss you Jane. If you're somewhere where you can see us, is the view as lovely as it was from the London Eye? That was such a fun night, wasn't it?" She asks, smiling slightly at the memory of their first kiss, a lone tear spilling from her eye. "Well, I need to leave now so I can get Mia to her tryouts on time. I will cheer her on enough for the both of us, okay? I love you Jane. Goodbye." She brings her fingers to her lips, kisses them, and then presses them to the tombstone.

**xxxxxx**

Arriving at the soccer complex, Mia takes a moment and breathes in deeply and exhales a couple of times before exiting the car. _You got this. Now go make Ma proud!_

"Good luck Mia!" Maura calls out to the retreating form, only to get a distracted wave in return. Opening the trunk of the car, she pulls out her lounge chair and catches a glimpse of it. Lying underneath a reusable shopping bag, she sees the Jane-half of the picture in question, and immediately brings her hands to her mouth to stifle a sob. Dragging it out with her left hand, she reveals the remaining half. "Oh, Jane." She sighs, her fingers tracing over the photographs.

In her hand is a three by five laminate of two wallet-size pictures. The one on the left is of Jane in her green goalkeeper jersey, taken mid-strike of a goal kick during the 2012 London Olympics; the one on the right is of Mia from a tournament a year ago in the same position as her mother. Flipping it over, she finally understands the tremendous importance this item holds for her daughter. Written across the top in Jane's scribble is the statement 'Believe in your dreams' and underneath that 'Love Always, Ma'.

After examining the collage of her wife and daughter, she brings into her chest. "Thank you Jane." She whispers to the universe, looking up at the sky even though she knows better not to. "Mia!" She calls out, but her daughter keeps walking. Closing the trunk and grabbing her chair, she breaks out into a swift jog. "MIA!" She tries again, working this time as she stops and turns around to face her mom.

Reaching her daughter, she holds out the photo. "Here you go Sweetie." Mia's eyes widening at the picture she thought she'd never see again.

Overwhelmed, all the young woman can do is grab it from her mother's hand and crash into her, pouring all of her emotion into a hug, relief tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Thank you." Mia mumbles into her mother's neck.

"You're welcome Honey. Now I want you to listen to me very carefully Amelia Angela Rizzoli." She asserts, taking her daughter's hands in hers, looking her in the eye. "I want you to go out there and open a can of worms!" She exclaims, squeezing her daughter's hands.

Her daughter's reaction confuses her and makes her think she didn't do it right. _Jane was always better at it anyway._ "Your Ma was always better at giving you guys pep talks. Did I do it wrong?"

"No, it was great. Just what I needed." She says, still giggling. "But I think 'open a can of WhoopAss' is the phrase you're looking for Mom." She corrects, laughing at the shocked expression on her mother's face when she swore. After giving a quick peck on her cheek, Mia turns back around and sprints towards the fields, no longer feeling lost.

**xxxxxx**

After tryouts were over, all one hundred and sixty-four girls are ushered into a great hall away from the nervous parents. "And the last member we select to join the Olympic team is Mia Rizzoli."

Upon hearing her name called, the first thing that comes to mind is wishing her Ma was there to share this moment with her. The second thing is realizing she achieved her dream and has the opportunity to compete for a gold medal in the Olympics next summer.

Waiting until the one hundred and fifty-eight rejected girls walk out of the hall, their coach walks in. "Good evening ladies. Congratulations on making the team! I really look forward to coaching each and every one of you." Mia Hamm admits, glancing around the room filled with six young women whose dreams just came true.

Giddy as ever, Mia makes her way over to say 'hi' to her coach. "Hi, Coach. I'm Mia." She introduces, extending her hand.

"Hi Mia." She returns the shake. "Looks like we share the same name."

"Yup, we sure do! You were my Ma's idol when she was growing up, so when my Mom had me, she got to name me and named me after you. She was keeper for the 2012 and 2016 Olympic team."

"You're Jane Rizzoli's kid?"

"Mhm. You knew my Ma?"

"Not personally, but I enjoyed watching her; one of the greatest goalkeepers I've ever seen."

"Yeah…she was pretty amazing."


	10. Fluffy Epilogue

**A/N:** Here it is everyone! The fluffy epilogue I'm sure you all have been waiting for! I hope you enjoy the final installment of this series! :-)

* * *

"**American" Epilogue **

**January 21, 2022 **

Arriving home from her twenty-week check-up, Maura makes a beeline to the fridge to display the three-dimensional sonograms while Jane heads to their bedroom to lock up her badge and gun. Returning to the kitchen, Jane sees her wife still looking at the pictures and walks up behind her, wrapping her arms around her pregnant stomach. "I can't believe we're having a boy and a girl." Jane sighs, resting her chin on the honey-blonde's shoulder, gently stroking her tummy with her thumbs.

"Mhm, and since they're fraternal, part of me hopes that, despite the odds, each of our eggs took." She whispers, her hands covering the brunette's.

"Yeah, that'd be cool to have a little Rizzoli and a little Isles running around." She agrees. "But no matter whose they are, I will always spoil them with my love." She assures, kissing her shoulder.

Slowly turning around in Jane's embrace, Maura grabs the back of her neck and brings her down for a heartfelt, leisurely kiss. "Mmm, not that I'm complaining or anything, but what was that for?" The Italian rasps as they pull away.

"For being your incredible, loving self. That way, when I have my doubts of becoming a mother, I know these children will always have you." She admits sadly, tears moistening her eyes. _Damn these hormones!_

"Maur, you listen to me." She demands, grabbing her wife's hands from the back of her neck to bring them down in between them, her thumbs gently stroking her knuckles as she peers into shimmering hazel eyes. "You're gonna be a great mom, all right?" Maura slightly shakes her head, not quite believing her words. "Yes you will." Jane reaffirms, squeezing her hands. "Do you remember the case with Baby John Doe?" The honey-blonde nods. "When I tapped on that window in the NICU to warn you about Nurse 'Wack-Job' Randi, I caught a glimpse of pure joy on your face as you held him." The brunette pauses for a second, gauging whether or not her wife still needs convincing; sensing she does, she continues. "And when she came after us, you instinctually put yourself in between him and harms way. So I don't _ever_ want you to doubt yourself again, because if you did that with someone else's baby, then you'll certainly be able to do it with ours and then some, okay?" She finishes, kissing away the sole tear that trickles down Maura's cheek.

"Thank you Jane." She replies, encircling her strapping, twenty-nine year young detective.

"Anytime Sweetie." She promises, returning the embrace, kissing the crown of her head. "Now, after the week you've had at work, I think a little foot rub is in order." She suggests, flashing her trademark 'Rizzoli' smile.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful! Can we sit on the couch? I would like to watch a documentary that recorded." She grins, knowing that Jane won't say 'no'.

"Sure." The brunette drawls, her smile now less genuine since the majority of these documentaries tend to be pretty boring. "Why don't you head over there and I'll grab us a couple of waters and order some takeout. Chinese okay?"

"Yup, sounds good!" Maura shouts over her shoulder, already halfway to the sofa.

**xxxxxx**

Resting her neck against the right arm of the couch, Maura plops her bare feet up, which barely reach the middle, and turns on her program. A little while later, her wife appears with their waters and places them on coasters on the coffee table before assuming the position. Lifting Maura's feet, Jane slides underneath onto the center cushion, settles her feet on her lap, and begins gently massaging her wife's swollen feet and ankles.

Instantly, the honey-blonde forgets about her program and starts moaning and groaning from the pure pleasure of her massage, unknowingly dampening her wife's black volleyball boy shorts to the point of threatening to soak through to her black work pants. Wanting to stop this madness, Jane poses a question. "Hey, Maur? Do you have any baby names in mind?"

Taking a second to blink away her relaxation haze, she responds. "Yes, but I've only been able to come up with boy's names." She admits shyly, feeling slightly guilty.

"You're kidding! I've only been able to come up with girl's names!" The brunette retorts. "Man, we sure are two peas in a pod." She grins at the honey-blonde, squeezing her foot.

"So what are your names?" Maura inquires, returning her smile.

"Well, to be honest, I've only come up with one. Since Mia Hamm was my idol growing up, I thought of 'Amelia'; so 'Mia' for short."

"That's beautiful." She comments, gently stroking random patterns on her stomach with the pads of her fingers.

"Yep, so how 'bout you?"

"Looks like we both only came up with one name. I've always liked the name 'Antonio' ever since I read a fascinating biography about Antonio Benivieni and how he pioneered the autopsy." She states matter-of-factly.

"You would like a name that came from a science book." Jane jests. "But your quirkiness is one of the reasons why I love you." She smiles broadly at Maura. "I like the Italian ring to it; he can be 'Tony' for short."

"Mhm. How about middle names?" Maura asks.

"Only got one of those too; Angela." She responds promptly.

"Amelia Angela Rizzoli…" The honey-blonde ponders. "I love it!"

"You want our kids to take my last name?" Jane asks surprised.

"I do. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, I just thought maybe you'd want to, I don't know, hyphenate or something."

"Ah, I see. No, I don't wish to do that because I feel more like a 'Rizzoli' at heart than I've ever felt like an 'Isles'. And, as you already know, if I hadn't already established a reputation in the medical field with my last name, I would've gladly changed it when I married you four years ago." Maura expresses.

"Right. Just wanted you to be sure." She smiles reassuringly. "What about you? Have you come up with any middle names?"

"I have and only thought of one as well; Montgomery."

"After your best friend Addison?" Maura nods. "Antonio Montgomery Rizzoli…" Jane muses. "Sounds perfect!" She declares, finishing her foot massage.

Readjusting her body, Jane lies in between Maura's legs, her feet dandling over the left arm of the couch while her hands gently rest side-by-side on her wife's pregnant tummy. "I say we let these two decide." Jane suggests, her face hovering over Maura's belly. "Well? What do you say Amelia Angela Rizzoli and Antonio Montgomery Rizzoli?"

No more than three seconds later, the soon-to-be parents chuckle as the twins exhibit tremendous activity. "Well, I think that pretty much settles it then." Jane quips, sliding her hands across Maura's stomach to feel the areas of movement.

"Haha, I'd say so. My goodness, if I didn't know any better, I'd say both of them are going to be soccer players from all the kicking they're performing on my kidneys."

"Hey, kiddos! I think that's enough practice on your Mom for tonight, yeah?" She orders, grinning mischievously at her love as she slinks up her body to hover over her.

"For tonight, hmm?" She murmurs, looking up into deep chocolate eyes, her fingers tangling in long, curly brunette locks.

"Yeah, I'd like them to remain still for what I'm about to do." She remarks before taking the honey-blonde's lips in a deep, sensual kiss. "Mmm, I love you Maura Dorthea Isles." She breathes against her lips, making the woman beneath her giggle.

"I love you Jane Clementine Rizzoli."

* * *

**May 18, 2030**

After the long night they had, when Jane wakes up at nine she decides to let Maura sleep in while she takes care of the Saturday morning chores. Making her way downstairs to the living room in her black sweat pants and charcoal gray 'BPD' t-shirt, she first checks in on the three family pets.

"Hi Kinsey Millhone! Hey Jo Friday!" She quietly greets their seven-year-old German Shepard and their three-year-old Cairn terrier. "Where's your buddy, huh?" She asks, scratching their ears. _Heh, ask and you shall receive!_ She thinks as she hears clanking in the kitchen. Walking over to the fridge, she pulls out the tortoise's favorite fruit and starts looking for him. "There you are! How you doing Bass? Would you like a nice juicy strawberry?" She asks, squatting down in front of him, slowly extending her arm so not to scare him. Once the strawberry's in his mouth, the brunette pats his shell and straightens up. Now that one companion is taken care of, Jane turns her attention back to the two canines. "C'mon girls! It's time for your walk!" After slipping into her cherry red Nike tennis shoes, Jane connects a powder blue leash onto Kinsey's matching collar and a light pink leash onto Jo's matching collar, and head out the front door.

**xxxxxx**

Quietly creeping back into the house thirty-three minutes later, Jane fills up the dogs' water and food bowls. After brewing a pot of coffee for Maura, Jane makes herself a cup of instant before making her way over to the couch to relax in front of the TV for a little bit before she has to start setting up for the twins' eighth birthday party. Stopping on a WPSL game with twenty-minutes remaining, she rests her feet on the coffee table, Kinsey lying on the area rug underneath her legs while Jo Friday curls up on her lap.

"Do you miss it?" A groggy voice behind the brunette asks, alarming her.

"Jesus Christ Maur! You scared the crap outta me!" She exclaims before tilting her head over the back of the sofa to look up at her wife. "Eh, not so much anymore. Only just the thrill of competition more than anything, which I can feel vicariously through Tony's games." She jokes, puckering her lips to await her 'good morning' kiss.

"Oh Babe." She chuckles, leaning down to give her wife a quick peck on the lips.

"So did you get enough sleep?" The brunette asks, her eyes glued on Maura's voluptuous physique as she saunters around the couch to sit next to her.

"I did, but I would've liked your gorgeous face to be the first thing I saw this morning rather than that of an empty bed." She discloses, cuddling into the brunette's side, her right hand reaching over to scratch the terrier's ears as her right foot rubs the German Shepard's side.

"Sorry, but you seemed pretty exhausted last night and I didn't want you to have to worry about getting up early." She explains, slipping her arm around Maura's shoulders, kissing her temple.

"Thank you. It was nice to sleep in, even if it was just for an hour."

**xxxxxx**

Once the soccer game finishes, Maura and Jane head out to the garage to gather the birthday supplies from their 'secret stash'. As Maura attempts to tug the box of science activities down from the top shelf, she starts snickering.

"What's so funny over there?" Jane wonders as she pulls down the bag of size four black and red Adidas soccer balls from the top shelf, then the canvas bag that contains the foldable six by eight by three feet goal off the middle shelf.

"I just thought…unf…how ironic it is that our children have developed hobbies that are…almost got it…not indicative of their names we chose for them. Oof." She explains as she struggles with the container. "Little help please?" She grins at her wife.

"Ha! Guess they have!" She says as she reaches up and brings down the box with ease, handing it to Maura. "Mia is the mini-you with her love of science and Tony is the mini-me with his love of soccer. Who'da thunk it?!" She remarks while gathering the soccer loot in her arms. "See ya in a bit Babe!" She shouts over her shoulder as she walks through the side door of the garage towards the backyard while Maura returns the way they came to go set up in the dining room.

**xxxxxx **

"Looks amazing Maur!" The brunette observes as she bounds back into the house, the dining table now impeccably transformed into a 'science lab'.

"Thanks Sweetie! I made them ID badges to clip onto their little lab coats!" Maura replies giddily, bringing up the 'Dr. Mia' badge right in front of her face with both her hands, leaving the other five badges for Mia's friends spread out on the table.

"Oh my god! These are great!" She compliments, grabbing the badge from Maura's hands to take a closer look at their daughter's picture. _Such a cutie-pie! She definitely takes after Maura. Let's see what else she has set up here. _"Hmm, I see you have equipment for a fingerprint lifting activity but what's the other stuff?" Jane asks, gesturing over the various items on the table, Mia's ID badge still in hand.

"These," the honey-blonde directs Jane's attention to apples, vanilla extract, and cotton balls, "are for a test to fool their tongues into thinking the apple tastes like vanilla just by smelling the vanilla-coated cotton ball before eating. And those," she points to a couple of rolls of Mentos and several two-liter bottles of Diet Coke, "are for a soda geyser experiment we'll all do at the end in the backyard."

"Fun!"

"I hope so." Craning her neck to look out the French doors behind Jane, Maura notices a paper-goalkeeper taking up the entire area of the goal with holes in all four corners and one in the bottom middle between its legs. "The backyard looks great!"

"Yeah? I hope they have fun trying to kick the ball through the five holes and not get frustrated. If not, I pretty sure they're gonna love the gift bags!" She proclaims enthusiastically.

"What did you put together?"

"Well, they'll get to keep the soccer balls of course, but then in each bag there'll be a little trophy, a soccer ball whistle, an autographed MLS player card, and a picture of them wearing my two gold medals from London and Rio."

"That's lovely Jane! I know Tony will love it since he's already talking about becoming an Olympic soccer player like his Ma." She divulges absentmindedly, realizing a little too late that she promised Tony she wouldn't tell Jane that. "Oh shoot."

"Aww he does?" The brunette asks rhetorically, pride swelling in her chest. "You weren't supposed to tell me that were you?" Maura shakes her head. "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me." She winks at her wife before kissing her chastely.

"WOW!" The twins shriek in perfect unison as they see the various birthday decorations around the house and the sizable 'Happy Birthday!' banner hanging from the kitchen beam, their little voices startling their parents.

"Ah! Damn that's twice in one day!" Jane mumbles to herself before turning around to greet her kids. "Guess I don't have to come wake you guys after all!" Jane states, squatting down to receive a double-sided hug from her little ones while simultaneously placing kisses on their cheeks. "Why are you guys so excited? Your birthday was yesterday." She teases, standing back up as they run towards Maura.

"Yes it was, but—" Mia begins, both of them hugging their Mom tightly.

"Our _party_ is today!" Tony finishes excitedly.

"If you two say so, but it can't begin if you don't get dressed!" Maura remarks, which makes the twins sprint back upstairs, Kinsey and Jo Friday chasing after them, also feeling the excitement.

"DON'T…run up the stairs." The honey-blonde begins to shout out after them, but trails off as they reach the top before she could chastise them.

Walking up behind the honey-blonde, Jane snakes her arms around her waist and whispers into her ear. "Just think, after today's activities and all the sweets they'll eat, that by bedtime they'll be all tuckered out and we can continue with our adult activities." She hints, nibbling on her earlobe, eliciting a moan from the smaller woman.

"Mm, that is, if we're not too tired ourselves." Maura responds, gently stroking her wife's forearms.

"Ha! Even if we were, I think we'll be up for some sex, no?" This time Jane traces the shell of Maura's ear with the tip of her tongue, evoking not only another moan but also a roll of the hips into her crotch seeking more contact.

"You do make a convincing argument." She groans, heat spreading throughout her body, eyelids half closed from arousal.

"Good!" Jane states, abruptly breaking all contact. "Now let's go make ourselves presentable for our little rascals' party." She offers, slapping Maura's butt before walking up the stairs, two steps at a time.

"Ugh, I hate it when you tease me like that!" She mutters, trailing behind. Even though she's forty-two years young, she's thankful that her Italian can still get her all hot and bothered in such a short amount of time.

Stopping at the top of the stairs, Jane rotates around and looks down at the honey-blonde's approaching form. "Now, now, Maura, I know for a fact that you do like it. Don't tell me you've forgotten about last night already." She tantalizes, grinning when she encounters a silence response from the otherwise loquacious doctor. "That's what I thought." She confirms smugly before darting off towards their master bedroom.

"Oh, she is definitely going to regret teasing me like that later tonight." Maura promises to herself.

* * *

**August 13, 2040**

It's the evening after the Closing Ceremony for the thirty-seventh summer Olympics, and Jane and Maura impatiently wait by the car just outside the Olympic Village.

"I can't wait to finally spend some quality time with them!" Maura confesses perkily, rubbing her glove-clad hands together attempting to keep them warm in the frigid night air.

"Same here! Even though we've had a couple of lunches and dinners with them, it always seemed a bit rushed." Jane crosses her arms tightly over her chest, tucking her bare hands under the armpit of her trench coat to warm them up.

Before Maura has the chance to tell Jane that she should've brought gloves, she spots her two eighteen year olds exiting the doors. Noticing their children we're struggling to find them in the parent-infested crowd, the honey-blonde nudges Jane and nods her head over towards the teenagers. Understanding the message of this silent communication, the brunette brings her left thumb and index finger to her mouth and whistles. "Over here!" She yells, waving her arm in the air, flagging them down.

Hearing the high-pitched sound, the twins' heads jerk towards noise. Upon seeing their moms, ear-to-ear grins spread across their faces and they break out into a run, their medals bouncing up and down on their chests.

"Ma!" Tony shouts, flying into Jane's arms.

"Hey Kiddo!" She responds, returning the hug with fervor.

"Mom!" Mia shrieks, leaping into Maura's arms.

"Hi Sweetie!" She replies, eagerly returning the hug.

"We missed you two so much!" Maura admits, cupping her teenagers' cheeks with each of her palms.

"We missed you too!" The twins counter in unison.

"I swear, I'm never gonna get used to that freaky twin-thing you two do." Jane comments, gesturing between Tony and Mia.

"Ma!" They retort simultaneously, laughing.

"Seriously! Stop!" She demands facetiously, smiling at her son and daughter. "Now let's get in the car; we have something exciting to show you before our flight home tomorrow morning."

**xxxxxx**

"What's that?!" The young brunette asks as he exits the car, gawking at a massive Ferris wheel.

"That's the London Eye. It's a thirty-minute ride that offers a three hundred and sixty degree view of the city." The young honey-blonde informs as she leaves the car.

Departing the car, Jane gapes at Maura over the rooftop, giving her a 'Yep, she's your daughter' look. "That's correct Mia. When your mom and I were here for the two thousand and twelve Olympics, I remember the breath-taking views and wanted to share that experience with you in celebration of what you two accomplished. So I reserved us a private pod."

"Awesome! I can't wait to go up there!" Tony exclaims, sprinting over to the walkway.

"Me too!" Mia agrees, chasing after her brother.

"Stick together please!" Jane calls out to the twins, observing as Tony slows down to a jog so Mia can catch up to him. "Shall we my dear?" Jane holds her elbow out, waiting for Maura to take it.

"Yes, we shall."

**xxxxxx**

Standing as close to the glass as possible are Mia and Tony while Jane positions herself behind Maura in the center, strong arms securely around her, making her feel as safe as possible since the honey-blonde is still afraid of heights.

"So kids, what does it feel like to wear a gold medal around your neck?" Jane inquires.

At eighteen years old, these were Tony and Mia's first Olympic games. As a forward, Tony helped his soccer team win gold with a diving header into the back of the net within the last few seconds of the game.

"Eh, it feels a little different than when I wore yours at my eighth birthday party." The young brunette replies, shrugging, his brown eyes still scanning the radiant town below. His nonchalant attitude earns a collective chuckle from his parents.

"How about you Mia? You have quite the collection." Maura questions.

As one of the members of the 'Spectacular Six' gymnastic team, Mia helped her team win gold while she won gold in the All-Around, silver on beam and floor, and bronze on bars.

"Mhm, it's cool to have a bronze and two silver medals, but of the two gold medals, the one for the All-Around means the most to me than the team one." She reveals, her hazel eyes fixating on the illuminated outline of the city.

Tilting her head back to rest on Jane's chest, Maura whispers. "I don't think we're going to get much conversation out of these two when we have the London skyline to compete with."

"I think you may be right about that, which is fine with me because that gives _us _some time to reminisce." She responds, her arms tightening around the smaller woman's midsection just under her breasts.

Gently swaying back and forth to a silent tune of their own, Sergeant-Detective Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Isles think back to that night all those years ago.

"Standing here twenty-eight years ago, did you ever imagine your life would turn out this way?" The forty-seven year old asks softly, kissing the honey-blonde's cheek.

After a moment of examining her surroundings, the fifty-two year old swivels within the confines of the embrace and gazes up at her wife of twenty-two years. Interlocking her fingers behind the taller woman's neck she responds with a dreamy smile. "No, but I'm extremely glad it did."


End file.
